Sue's Story Continues
by Kerry Blue
Summary: This picks up with a "missing" scene from the finale, and continues from there.
1. Chapter 1

Note: I do not own _The Middle._ I think the people who created and wrote for The Middle are ridiculously talented, and I do not intend to infringe on their rights in any way. This is my first ever attempt at fanfic. This chapter depicts a "missing" scene from the finale, picking up with Sue and Sean's final kiss by the side of the road.

Sean broke the kiss and brought his hands up to cup Sue's face. "I really hate to do this, but…"

"I know. I know. You have to go. Gosh, our timing always sucks!" Sue exclaimed.

Sean laughed softly, and moved to pull Sue into a hug. The sound of crunching glass stopped them.

"Oh no! My poor snow globe! I can't believe it survived the Glossners, only to end up like this!"

Sean gave Sue a puzzled look and said, "You're going to have to explain that some time, but right now…" He knelt down and worked to untangle Sue's note, now soaked, from the ruins of the snow globe.

Sue knelt down next to him and said, "I wouldn't bother. It's ruined."

"It says 'Love, Sue.' I have to keep it!"

Sue laughed and said, "I promise, there are lots more love notes where that came from!" She and Sean locked eyes, their gazes heating. Just as they leaned towards each other for yet another kiss, they heard a throat clearing. Startled, Sue started to tip over, but Sean quickly steadied her.

Mike and Frankie, carrying a roll of paper towels and the now-empty peach basket, were standing beside them. Mike said, "We can help with that. Sean, don't you have a flight to catch?"

"Yes, Mr. Heck. If you guys can take care of this, I need to call my parents and see what arrangements we can make about that flight." At Mike's nod, Sean jumped up and hurried over to his car to retrieve his cell phone. He carried his first love note from Sue with him.

Frankie squatted down beside her daughter and wrapped her in a quick hug.

"Mom, did you see that?! Can you believe it?! He loves me too!"

"I know! It was the most romantic thing I've ever seen! No one's ever done anything that sweet for me!" She shot a look over her shoulder at her husband, who took that as his cue to go check on Sean and his phone call. Frankie continued, "I took pictures! I tried to take a video, but the camera was upside down, so I'm not sure how well it turned out." She shrugged and started to clean up the remnants of the snow globe, dropping the debris in the peach basket. Sue, beaming with joy, moved to help.

Mike caught the end of Sean's conversation. "Mom, thanks so much for changing my flight for me. I know it's a hassle, but it's totally worth it. She's totally worth it! Can you believe she loves me too?" He paused, smiling, as he listened to his mom on the other end of the line. "Yeah, she's always been the one for me. And I think you've known that for a long time!" He paused again, waiting on her to finish speaking. "Yes, yes, I promise to never doubt your superior wisdom again! Now, I've got to say goodbye to Sue and the Hecks. I'll meet you and Dad at the airport," he checked his watch, "in about two hours. Thanks so much! I love you!" After the call ended, he turned and was startled to see Mike standing next to him. "Oh, Mr. Heck! I didn't hear you!"

"Did you miss your flight?"

"Yes, sir. But it's okay. This flight was just from Indy to Chicago. I was going to have a really long layover there. My mom found another flight out of Indy that should get me to Chicago in time for my next flight. But I need to leave soon, or I'll miss that flight, too."

Mike nodded and started to turn away. He paused as Sean spoke, "Mr. Heck, I just want you to know that I love Sue with my whole heart. I've always wanted what's best for her, and for her to be happy, ever since we were kids."

Mike was silent for a moment, then responded, "I've always liked you, Sean. You were a good kid. And from what I've seen, you've grown into a good man." Again, he paused for a moment, clearly uncertain if he should continue. Finally, quietly, "I liked what you said to her today."

Sean started to interject, "I meant every word…"

Mike continued, "I know you did." With a shrug, "That's why I liked it." In a sterner tone, he said, "Now, treat her well, and don't interfere with her last year of college, and you and I will get along fine."

Mike turned and walked back over to the women, who had finished cleaning up (and squealing!) and were standing and anxiously watching his interaction with Sean. Sean followed behind him, grinning broadly. After all these years, he knew Mike Heck well, and he knew that he had just received Mike's equivalent of a glowing endorsement.

Seeing Sean's smile and Mike's calm expression, Sue's anxiety vanished. She greeted Sean's return by exclaiming, "Mom tried to take pictures and video of us!"

"Wow! Thanks, Mrs. Heck!" He held up his own phone, and said, "I'd like a couple to take with me. Then I've got to head back to the airport."

"Here, let me!" Frankie shoved the basket into Mike's hands and reached for Sean's phone. Sue snuggled into Sean's side, as Frankie fiddled with Sean's phone. It didn't take long for everyone to realize she was as unskilled with his phone as she was with her own. By that time, Axl had approached. He took the phone from his mom and quickly snapped off several photos of Sue and Sean together – hugging, beaming at the camera, gazing into each other's eyes, saying "I love you"… He held up fairly well, until he captured them in yet another kiss.

"Ugh, c'mon guys! I'm doing you a favor here!"

"Get over it! I've seen you and Lexie making out dozens of times!" Sue snapped.

"Yeah, and remember what you said when you found out we were dating? That you felt like throwing up? That's me! Right now! Hand me the basket!" He shoved the phone at Sean, then moved to grab the basket from Mike.

"I said I felt like throwing up in a good way!"

"Yes, exactly!" Axl grimaced as he realized he had just inadvertently admitted that he was happy for them. Grossed out, but happy. Sue recognized what he was really saying, and threw her arms around him. He made a face, refusing to hug her back. He looked at Sean and said, "This is your fault!"

Sean smiled and shrugged, "Hey! I love it when she hugs me!"

"Yeah, I know!" Axl rolled his eyes and pulled away from his sister. He stepped closer to Sean and mumbled, "I'm sorry I got between you guys."

"Twice!" Sean reminded him.

"Yeah, twice," Axl agreed, pulling Sean away from the others. He spoke quietly, so Sue couldn't overhear. "Look, I don't know if you realize it, but she had a major crush on you when we were kids." Sean shook his head and smiled; he hadn't known it then, but he was happy to hear it now. "Yeah," Axl continued, "it was super embarrassing. She used to follow us everywhere and talk about you constantly. She even wrote you love poems! And they were terrible!" Seeing Sean's bemused grin, Axl said seriously, "I tried to keep it from you then, because I thought you weren't interested in her, and I didn't want her feelings to get hurt." He shook his head, "I didn't take you seriously on New Year's, and I didn't mention it to her. I kinda thought she might still have a crush on you; I mean, she was acting super weird that night you went out with Lexie – she kept insisting that it didn't bother her at all. And when Sue says something's not bothering her, you can bet that it really is." Sean nodded and glanced over at Sue with an apologetic expression; he'd have to explain to her sometime that it was that "date" with Lexie that made him realize he couldn't keep suppressing his feelings for Sue. "So, yeah," Axl finished, "I guess I was still worried that she might get her feelings hurt, if I told her what you said, and you hadn't really meant it."

"You should have asked me, Axl!" Sean exclaimed.

"Yeah, and you should have told her and not me!" Axl snapped back. The two men looked at each, then broke into laughter. Axl sobered and said, "I'm glad you two finally talked to each other. I may not always be a great big brother, but...she's my sister, you know? I think you'll be really happy together. Just, don't give me any details, okay?" Sean smiled and nodded. "Be safe. Learn a lot in Ghana. And be good to my sister!"

Sean replied, "I will! I hope this job in Denver is everything you want." They exchanged an awkward hug, then Axl headed back over to the Hecks' car to join Brick, who was still reading his book and completely oblivious to everything else.

Sean rejoined Sue and her parents. After a handshake (Mike) and hug (Frankie), Sue and Sean were left alone to exchange their final good-byes.

"I'm flying from Indy to Chicago and then to Brussels, before heading on to Accra. I'll contact you as soon as I can, but it might not be until Brussels. I'm going to have to rush to make those first flights."

"It's okay," Sue responded. "We've maxed out our data plan, so I probably won't be able to use my phone until we get to the hotel and can use their wi-fi."

They looked at each other, expressions downcast, as they realized this was only the beginning of three months of limited contact. Sue was the first to shake off her funk. She pasted on a brave smile and said, "It'll be okay. We've waited this long to be together. What's three more months?"

Sean stroked her cheek. "I love you, Suzy Q." A broad, genuine smile broke across his face. "I'll never get tired of saying that!"

"And I'll never get tired of hearing it! I love you, too, Sean." They shared a sweet, soft kiss, and then Sean walked Sue over to the Hecks' car and helped her get settled. He ran back to his car, then honked and waved before making a U-turn and heading off to the airport. Sue relaxed into her seat, dreamy smile firmly in place. She was in bliss, knowing that while she and Sean might be in different places physically, they were finally, FINALLY in the same place emotionally.


	2. Chapter 2

Copyright Note: I do not own _The Middle._ The folks who are responsible for _The Middle_ are awesome, and I do not intend to infringe on their rights or their awesomeness in any way.

Author note: Thank you for the reviews! This is my first ever fanfic, and I'm learning as I go. If you have any tips about content or formatting, please share. This chapter picks up a few days after the events of the finale.

A couple nights later, the Hecks – minus Axl – returned home. It was late and they were all so exhausted they barely had the energy to take themselves and their luggage into the house. Still, Sue made a point of checking the front stoop for any surprises. She had learned her lesson, and while Brick hadn't been around to intercept any more packages, she knew that others had. Not finding anything - and realizing she probably wouldn't find anything for another three months - she stumbled off to bed.

The prior few days had gone by in a blur. They had helped Axl settle into a furnished apartment that his new employers had located for him. It would be his temporary home until he found an apartment and furnishings of his own. They had gone with him to scope out his new office building and new company car (which had snow tires and 4-wheel drive, Mike had been pleased to note). They had even met a few of Axl's new coworkers, although Axl had tried to speed through those interactions. That was probably for the best, since Frankie's mood could switch from giddiness to grief at any moment.

While Sue had been impressed by Axl's new set-up and by the city of Denver, her thoughts had remained centered on Sean. When she wasn't searching for public wi-fi spots so she could contact him, she had been fantasizing about him – thinking of all the things she wanted to tell him or ask him, planning future dates, imagining the two of them visiting Denver together. After the umpteenth variation on "Oh, I bet Sean would…", Mike had finally pulled her aside and reminded her to pay more attention to her family, especially the brother she likely wouldn't see again for more than 3 months. While she had known her dad was right, it had still been hard to stay focused on the moment when she had her imagination and a string of texts and emails to draw her attention.

She had received the first text shortly after they had gotten to their hotel. While her parents were checking in, Sue had turned on her phone and connected to the hotel wi-fi. She had been inundated by missed texts. She had scrolled past messages from Brad; Lexie; Nancy, Dotty, and Shelly Donahue; members of her no-cut a cappella group; even Carly (wow, word had gotten out fast!) before finally finding the one she'd wanted.

 **Sean:** _You are my snowflake, sunshine, soulmate. Check your email. Love you. Miss you._

Sue had immediately accessed her email account. Her family had herded her toward the elevator and then their room as she opened Sean's email and read:

 _Suzy Q,_

 _You know how I said our kiss on Christmas Eve was the greatest thing that ever happened to me? I was wrong. Everything that happened today – finally being able to tell you and everyone else how much I love you, hearing you say you love me back, kissing you while knowing that you love me as much as I love you – that's the greatest thing that's ever happened to me. I can't imagine ever being happier than I am right now. And yet I know that three months from now, when we can start living our daily lives as a couple (on the same continent!) I'll be happier still. I'm looking forward to a future full of "greatest moments of my life" with you._

 _I've attached the photos that Axl took of us. Tell him thank you again. I am going to treasure them. I hope you don't mind if I send a copy to my mom. Turns out, she's been rooting for us to get together since we were teenagers. She told me the real reason she'd wanted me to take you to your proms was that she'd hoped that it would "wake me up and make me realize what I was missing." She's thrilled that we're finally together…but I expect she's already texted you to tell you that!_

 _It's almost time to board the plane. I'll check in with you as soon as I can. I love you! Always._

 _Sean_

By the time she'd finished reading the email, she'd been crying so hard she almost couldn't see the attached pictures. As Frankie had hurried her into their hotel room, Mike had shrugged in apology to the folks who'd stuck their heads out of neighboring rooms to see what the commotion was. After that initial meltdown, her emotions had settled (much to the relief of her family, and the neighbors in the adjoining rooms). It had helped that she and Sean were able to swap multiple texts and emails over the next few days. There had even been a brief FaceTime session, while Sean was waiting on his transport from the airport in Accra to the clinic where he'd be working. There'd been lots of background noise and lots of buffering, but being able to see him again had calmed her spirits. Afterwards, she'd called Nancy and they'd swapped notes about everything they'd heard from Sean and how much they missed him.

But now the Hecks were back in Orson. Mike and Frankie woke up early the next morning, since they had to go to work. When Mike opened the front door, he found all three Donahue women on the stoop.

Nancy shoved a platter of freshly baked scones into his hands. "Welcome back! Is she awake yet?"

Frankie appeared behind Mike. "I'm right here…." Her voice trailed off as she realized Nancy meant Sue. But any momentary embarrassment or jealousy disappeared when she spotted the scones. "Here, Mike, let me take those from you. Why don't you go check on Sue?"

Mike started to object, but Frankie had already taken the scones from him and headed to the kitchen. He noticed she'd already taken a bite out of one of them, too. He walked to Sue's door. It took multiple knocks before she woke up.

"What?" Sue mumbled, as she poked her head out the door. Her eyes were droopy, her hair was a mess, and she was still wearing the leggings and oversized shirt she'd worn home the day before.

"You have guests," Mike responded. At Sue's puzzled look, he explained, "The Donahues."

"Oh! Do I have time to…" Sue was interrupted by Shelly, who'd come to find her.

"C'mon, Sue! We have so much catching up to do!" She grabbed Sue's hand and tugged her down the hallway. When they reached the living room, a cacophony of squeals erupted.

Brick emerged from his room. "What the…"

"The Donahues and Sue," Mike explained. "If you've got ear plugs, now's the time to use 'em." As Brick returned to his room, Mike headed for the kitchen. He spotted Frankie at the counter, with the remaining scones. "How many of those have you had?"

"Two. Or so." She pushed the platter his way, then started towards the living room.

"You sure your ears can handle that?" Mike asked. While the squealing seemed to have temporarily stopped, the decibel of the chatter was still too much for him.

Frankie paused and looked back at him. "You know how I said being the 'boy mom' was the worst? I think being the 'girl mom' might be tough, too. Especially when you're up against…" She was interrupted by peals of laughter from the living room. She squared her shoulders and headed into the living room. Mike grabbed a couple of scones and snuck out the back door.

Nancy, Dotty, and Sue were seated on the sofa, while Shelly was perched on the ottoman in front of them. Frankie noticed immediately that Nancy had her arm around Sue's shoulders, and that all three Donahue women seemed enraptured as Sue recited everything Sean had told her that day, by the side of the road.

"Wow! Did he really say all that?" Dotty asked.

"Oh, yes!" Sue nodded emphatically. "While we were driving to Denver, I wrote everything down I could remember. Then I read it out loud and made everyone tell me if they remembered anything different. You know," Sue continued with a smirk, "Axl kept insisting that he hadn't heard anything, but he sure was quick to correct anyone if they got so much as a word wrong!"

All four women started to laugh. Thinking no one had noticed her presence, Frankie sighed and headed towards the front door. Nancy hurried over to stop her.

"Oh, Frankie! I want you to know that I've been thinking about you the last few days. I know it's been really hard for you." Nancy pulled Frankie into a warm hug.

"Yes, yes, it has been." Frankie's eyes welled up with tears. "I'm happy for Axl, but I'm still so miserable…"

"Oh, I know! I'm missing Sean so much! But it's going to be such a comfort for us to have Sue so close by. I've already promised Sean that I'll have her over regularly for meals and family nights. And the girls are so excited about including her in their sister slumber parties!" Finally noticing Frankie's frozen expression, Nancy grasped Frankie's hands. "At times like this, it's best if we distract ourselves. I'm foreseeing lots of girls' nights… for all five of us Donahue and Heck girls! And maybe Lexie could join us! I'm sure it will do you just as good to spend time with her as it'll do us to spend time with Sue!"

Frankie's expression brightened. "That's a really good idea! Sue and I can ask her. Oh, and thank you for the scones. They're delicious!"

"Oh, you're welcome…" Nancy's voice drifted off as her attention switched over to the younger women. Sue was relating the saga of the snow globe to her rapt audience. As someone who had spent most of her life feeling overlooked, Sue seemed to be reveling in all the attention she was getting now. "I'm sorry, I'd like to…" Nancy motioned over to her daughters and Sue.

"Yeah, that's fine. I understand. I've got to get to work anyway," Frankie responded.

"We'll have a long talk later, I promise!" Nancy hugged Frankie again, then returned to the sofa.

Frankie watched the others for a moment, before quietly turning back to the front door. This time, it was Sue who stopped her from leaving.

"Mom, wait!" Sue raced over and hugged her mom. "I love you! Have a super awesome day at work! Do you want me to bring you something home from Spudsy's tonight?"

"I love you, too! And no thanks, I'm not in the mood for Spudsy's."

Sue whispered conspiratorially, "Do you want me to tell Mrs. Donahue how late we got back last night, how tired we all are, and how we haven't had time to go to the grocery store? You know what will happen if I do… "

"Absolutely!" Frankie hugged Sue again and headed out the front door. Her heart felt lighter. Maybe she wasn't losing two children in one week, after all. And maybe there were going to be some benefits to this new connection with the Donahues.


	3. Chapter 3, Part 1

Note: I do not own _The Middle._ No copyright infringement is intended.

Author note: This chapter was getting pretty long, so it'll be posted in two parts. Don't worry: Sean will appear in Part 2.

Over the next few weeks, Sue kept as busy as possible. She worked any shifts she could get at Spudsy's. She spent quality time with her family, Sean's family, and her friends. She shadowed at a local hotel. Unfortunately, the shadowing gig wasn't as helpful as she'd hoped. Orson was hardly a hot spot for tourists, so the hotel provided little for her to do or learn – although she did quickly become an expert at unclogging the ice machine. Since much of her time there was spent sitting around and waiting on something – anything! – to happen, she'd started using that time to make updates to her latest binder.

That binder was dedicated to, of course, Sean. She used it to hold everything from ads for things they might do on future dates to lists of things she wanted to talk to him about when he got home. They had agreed that they would wait until his return to go over the events of the last year. It had been Sean's suggestion; he'd pointed out that the logistics of their situation made it difficult to have an in-depth conversation about anything. He was right, of course. He sometimes went several days without being able to receive or send personal emails and texts or make personal phone calls, and their few FaceTime chats had almost all been carefully scheduled events that included his entire family. Logistics aside, they both seemed to tacitly understand that having those conversations face-to-face made it less likely that there would be any more misunderstandings between them. They'd had too many of those already.

Sue was also seeking greater clarity in her relationship with Shelly, Sean's little sister. While the whole Donahue family seemed to have accepted her relationship with Sean whole-heartedly, Sue had felt like there was something just a little bit off in her interactions with Shelly. It took her a while, but she finally figured it out: she was the Nancy to Shelly's Frankie. And just as Frankie was a pro at manipulating Nancy into doing things, Shelly had become quite the expert at bending Sue to her will.

Case in point: a street fair was being held in Gumford one weekend in June, and Shelly was desperate to attend. She was also desperate to watch a Netflix program that her parents had banned because they considered the subject matter too adult for their daughters. Shelly had decided that a "sister sleepover" in Sue's Gumford apartment was the solution to both situations. She had found it fairly easy to cajole Sue into taking that Saturday off from Spudsy's and instead spending the weekend with the Donahue girls in Gumford.

Early that Saturday morning, Sue, Shelly, and Dotty arrived at Sue's apartment. While the younger girls explored the apartment and unpacked in Sue's room (yes, they were sharing Sue's room while Sue slept on the couch – another win for Shelly), Sue took a few minutes to catch up with Lexie, who'd been staying there alone while she worked a couple of part-time jobs in town. After briefly swapping their latest news, Sue quietly explained her Shelly-as-Frankie theory to Lexie.

"Really?" Lexie said with a smile. "What was your first clue? When she took half your belongings in exchange for the snow globe? When she talked you into taking her to that movie Mrs. Donahue didn't want her to see? Or all those times she got you to drive her and her friends around town? Or the second time she talked you into taking her to a movie her mom didn't approve of?"

"Yes! All of those!" Sue shook her head and continued, "I don't know what to do. I really want her to like me, but I really, REALLY want Mrs. Donahue to like me, and if she finds out about things like those movies, I'm going to be in a lot of trouble. And Sean might be upset with me, too!"

"I doubt Sean will be upset. For one thing, he thinks you're perfect. For another, he's known Shelly her entire life. I'm sure he knows how…" Lexie paused, searching for a tactful way to put it, "persuasive Shelly can be."

"Maybe," Sue sighed. "As for today, I think the street fair will be great. It's afterwards that I'm worried about. She's been hinting about a show she wants to watch on Netflix…"

"Let me guess. One that's not Nancy-approved."

"Exactly! But I think I have a strategy for dealing with that." After quietly verifying that Shelly and Dotty were still occupied in her room, she continued, "Well, if we can't access Netflix, then there's no way for them to watch that show, right? So, after we leave for the fair, can you go into your Netflix accounts on the tv and your laptop and log out, and make sure your password isn't saved? Then I'll tell them that I don't know your password, and I can't ask you for it since you'll be at work and unable to use your cell phone."

"Sue, are you actually developing scheming skills? I am so proud! And I so wish Brad was here to witness it!"

Just then the Donahue girls came into the living room and announced that they were ready to go. Since Lexie would be working a double-shift at the restaurant, she told them she'd see them in the morning. After the younger girls headed out the door, Lexie gave Sue a quick thumb's up to assure her the Netflix situation would be handled.

Sue, Shelly, and Dotty did have a fantastic time over the next few hours. They played carnival games, browsed through stalls, ate copious amounts of junk food, and listened to live music. Sue had been surprised to see Aidan and his band walk on stage to perform. Since he tripped over his amp when he spotted her in the crowd, it was clear he was surprised to see her, too.

"Hey, isn't that your ex?" Dotty whispered.

"Uh, yeah," Sue said. "Do you guys want to go do something else?"

"We can't now. He's waving at you!" Dotty hissed. Sure enough, he was. So sure enough, they stayed and listened to his entire set. Sue couldn't help but wonder what, if anything, Sean's sisters would tell him about this.

As soon as the set ended, Sue tried to hurry the girls away. A loud commotion behind them caused them to turn back and see that Aidan had apparently jumped off the stage and misjudged his landing. After righting himself, he hurried over to them.

"Sue! Hi! How are you? What're you doing here? I thought you'd be in Orson for the summer."

"Oh, I am. I'm just here for the weekend. We're headed back home in the morning."

After an awkward pause, Aidan said to the girls, "Hi, I'm Aiden."

"We know," they chorused.

"Oh, right. Aidan, this is Dotty and Shelly Donahue. They're neighbors of mine in Orson…" Sue's voice trailed off. Both girls gave her surprised looks when they realized that was all she was going to say.

"So, are you a prospective student?" Aidan asked Dotty.

"Oh, no," Dotty replied. "We just came for the street fair."

"And for some sister-bonding time. Sue is our brother's girlfriend," Shelly added, pointedly. A flash of discomfort momentarily crossed Sue's face; she really hadn't wanted Aidan to find out that way. Not that there was a good way to find out that an ex had moved on, especially when it was with someone they had secretly been in love with while dating you. But hopefully he wouldn't figure that part out.

"Hey, wait. Donahue." Aidan turned to Sue. "Is that the neighbor guy from your birthday?"

"Um, yes. Yes, it is. His name's Sean."

Aidan shook his head. "Well…everything makes sense now! Sue, I'm happy for you." He turned and waved at a bandmate, who was calling for him. "Ladies, have fun today! I've got to go help tear down our equipment." And with that, he headed off.

Sue's curiosity got the best of her. "Girls, can you stay here for a minute? I need to ask Aidan something." At their nod, she took off after Aidan. Hearing her approach, he stopped suddenly, causing her to run into him. They laughed as they untangled themselves.

"Well, that's a familiar scenario! I hope Sean's not as accident-prone as we are!" Aidan said.

"No, he's not. Look, Aidan, I'm sorry you found out that way…"

"It's okay. Really," he assured her. "We broke up 3 months ago. I'm dating someone now, too."

"Wow, that's great! Really great! I'm sure she's great! I hope that everything works out…"

"Great?" he teased her.

"Yes," she giggled. "I hope it works out great." She sobered, then said, "Can I ask, what did you mean? About things making sense now?"

"Oh, well, I guess you don't remember too much about your birthday." When Sue shook her head, he continued, "The way he stuck around all night and took care of you… not many guys would do that for 'just a neighbor.' And when I first introduced myself, he refused to shake my hand. At the time, I thought it was strange, but in retrospect – I guess he saw me as competition or something."

"That's…Sean's not usually like that. He's the politest guy I know."

"Well, not when meeting your boyfriends, apparently," Aidan countered. "Although the biggest giveaway of that night should have been when you told him you really liked him."

"I did what?" Sue was truly horrified. And remorseful. "In front of you? I don't remember doing that!"

"Uh, yeah. You did. At the time, he played it off like you were just so drunk that you were confusing him with me, but now…now I realize you must have really meant it."

"Oh, Aidan. I am really, really sorry. I never in a million years would've wanted to hurt you."

"I know. And it really is okay. You're a sweetheart, Sue. When you're not drunk," he clarified. "But we weren't each other's great love story. I hope this guy is it for you."

With a sad smile, Sue gave Aidan a brief hug and told him good-bye. Then she turned and walked back to Sean's sisters.

"Everything okay?" Dotty asked.

"Yeah, I…I just learned something I need to ask Sean about."

"He said he'd be available to FaceTime with us at 4 our time. That's over an hour from now."

"Well, why don't we head back to the apartment? We can walk past that last row of booths, in case we missed something cool."


	4. Chapter 3, Part 2

Note: I do not own _The Middle._ No rights infringement is intended.

Note: This picks up immediately after the events of Part 1. Sorry if the Donahue girls seem OOC. I liked the idea of there being a next generation of Frankie/Nancy, and Shelly "won" the Frankie role due to her bargaining Sue out of an armful of belongings in episode 9-17.

About an hour later, Sue and the Donahue girls arrived back at her apartment. While Dotty carried their souvenirs to Sue's bedroom, Shelly made a beeline for the tv.

"Hey, your brother should be ready to FaceTime before long. We don't really have time to get started watching something…" Sue said anxiously. She hoped Lexie had successfully wiped her Netflix password.

"Oh, I know. I just want to get things set up for later." Shelly picked up the remote and went to work. Sue busied herself around the apartment – putting away her own souvenirs, plugging her phone in to charge, flipping through the mail that had arrived for her while she'd been in Orson – while keeping an eye on Shelly. Just as Dotty rejoined them, Shelly piped up, "Hey, what's Lexie's Netflix password?"

"Um, I'm not sure. She usually stays logged in, so I never have to know it."

"Well, she's not logged in now. Can you call her and ask for it?"

"Well, no, I can't really, because she's at work, and can't answer her phone, or answer texts, and so on and so forth and what have you…" Just then, Sue's phone made a familiar noise. "Sean! It's Sean!" she exclaimed. She snatched her phone off the charger and dashed for the sofa. The Donahue girls cuddled up on either side of her as she answered.

"Hello!" four voices exclaimed at the same time, as Sean appeared on the screen.

"Well, if it isn't three of my favorite ladies!" Sean said, beaming happily. Sue was quick to note that beneath the bright smile, he looked exhausted. "Have you had fun today?"

"So much fun!" Dotty exclaimed. "We won a ton of candy playing carnival games. We're going to donate it to the kids at the church day care!"

"I'm sure they'll appreciate it!" Sean said.

"Dr. Goodwin will, too!" Sue chimed in.

Sean flashed her a smile, then listened patiently while his sisters regaled him with anecdotes about their day. Occasionally, he was able to slip in a few of his own stories about life in Ghana. Sue let the others carry the conversation, as she worried over Sean's seeming fatigue as well as the questions her conversation with Aidan had raised.

"So, have you talked to Mom and Dad today?" Shelly asked.

"Not yet. I'll call them next…provided you guys ever run out of fun stories from your day!" He turned his attention to Sue. "How about it, Suzy Q? You haven't had much to say. Did anything else exciting happen?"

"Umm…" Sue debated whether to mention seeing Aidan. Dotty took the decision out of her hands.

"We got to meet that guy Aidan. His band played at the festival."

"Really?" Sean gave Sue a speculative look. Then, to his sisters, "What did you think of his band? I hear they're pretty good."

"Oh, yeah. They were lots of fun to listen to! And he seemed nice. But not as nice as you, of course!" Dotty proclaimed, and Shelly nodded her agreement.

The conversation started to peter out after that. Sue said to Shelly and Dotty, "Girls, do you mind if I talk to your brother alone for a few minutes?"

"Oooh, what about?" Dotty teased, while Shelly giggled. Sean tried to hide his smile.

"Lexie said you could try on anything in her closet," Sue reminded them.

"Bye Sean! Love you!" Both girls took off for Lexie's room.

"Alone at last!" Sean waggled his eyebrows playfully.

"Yes, with only 5000+ miles and 2 screens between us." Seeing the smile slip from Sean's face, Sue apologized, "Oh, Sean. I'm sorry, I was trying to make a joke…"

"I know," he said quietly. He held his hand up in the "I love you" sign, which Sue returned. They sat quietly for a moment, just absorbing the sight of each other.

"You look tired. Is everything really okay?" Sue asked.

"Yeah, yeah it is. I'm learning a **lot** , and I really feel like I'm doing something that's helping people…"

"You are! You really, truly are!" Sue assured him.

Sean smiled slightly, then continued, "But it is exhausting. Days like today, I look forward to being back in Orson and getting to sleep in my own bed." He continued, "And every day, I look forward to going home to you."

Teary-eyed, Sue smiled at him. "I look forward to that, too. So, so much." She cleared her throat and worked up her nerve, then said, "Sean, there's something I want to ask you."

"Does it have to do with Aidan?" Sean asked.

"Yeah," she sighed. "Look, I know that we agreed that we wouldn't talk about stuff like this until you got back, but…he said some stuff today, about my birthday, and it made me curious…"

"Okay," Sean said slowly.

"The thing is…I don't really remember much about that day. I mean, I kinda remember running into you in the street, and being sooo excited that you knew it was my birthday…" Sean smiled, clearly thinking of the effusive hug she'd given him that night. "And I definitely remember waking up the next morning and you were there – offering me aspirin and water – and I realized you must have stayed with me all night. That made me feel so special, to know that you'd done that."

"I'd do anything for you, Suzy Q; you know that." He meant that as sincerely this time as he had the dozens of other times he'd said it.

"Is it true…that night…did I really tell you that I liked you? In front of Aidan?"

Sean sighed. "Yes. That happened, right after we got to your apartment. But he and I both assumed that you really meant him."

"You know now, I really was talking about you, right?"

Sean nodded. "Yeah, I do. But to be honest, at the time, I didn't know that, and…it was what I'd been wanting you to say to me for a long time, and hearing you say it, but not believing you meant it…"

"I hurt you," Sue said softly. He shrugged, not willing to answer her outright. After a moment, Sue continued, "So, did I say anything else interesting that night?"

"Well…" he drawled, "you did ask if I'd kiss you." At the shocked look on her face, he clarified, "But Aidan wasn't in the room for that one."

"Seriously? And you still didn't think I was talking to you?"

Sean paused for a moment, weighing his words. "Sue, you have to realize, this happened a few weeks after I'd left those presents on your stoop. When you didn't show up for the meeting at the fountain, I assumed it was because you were committed to Aidan. At the time, I had no idea you hadn't gotten the gifts."

"Wait, what meeting?"

"There was a note with the flowers, asking you to meet me so I could tell you how much I cared about you."

Sue stared, open-mouthed and heart breaking. "So, you thought I'd stood you up, knowing that you had feelings for me, but you STILL stayed all night and took care of me when I was drunk?"

Sean shrugged. "I love you, Sue. I wanted to be there for you. I **needed** to be there for you. Even if things hadn't worked out the way they have, it still matters to me that I was there for you when you needed it."

Sue marveled, "You really are the most perfect human being alive!"

"Not that perfect," he smirked. "Did he tell you I refused to shake his hand?"

"Yes! But that's so unlike you, to be impolite!"

"Well, I had been trying to steal his girlfriend," Sean pointed out, matter-of-factly. "I figured shaking his hand would have been even ruder!" Sue giggled. A background noise momentarily drew Sean's attention. He turned back to her, "I'm sorry, I've gotta go. One of the doctors is calling for me."

"It's okay. I love you!"

"I love you, too! Less than two months to go!"

"Less than two months," Sue echoed. They again exchanged the "I love you" sign before ending their connection. Afterwards, she sat quietly on the sofa.

"Are you okay?" Shelly startled Sue from her thoughts.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Sue wiped a tear from her eye.

"Are you sure?" Shelly asked doubtfully.

"Yes. I just…got a reminder of how many people I hurt this past year, when I decided to settle." Seeing Shelly's baffled look, Sue explained, "I'd loved Sean for so long, but I couldn't believe that he'd love me back. So I settled for Aidan, a guy I wasn't really that into, which was hurtful to him…"

"And you hurt Sean, because he really did love you, but he had to see you with another guy," Shelly – wise beyond her years – surmised.

Sue shook her head and sighed. "Yes, that's the worst part. But I hurt myself, too, because by settling I missed out on time I could have been with Sean." She said emphatically, "So let this be a lesson to you! Don't ever settle! It hurts too many people."

Shelly mulled over this for a moment. "I can see that. But there have been times where settling worked out okay for me. Like last year, I wanted to be the class treasurer, so I could be the one to pick the annual service project." Sue nodded; after years of losing class elections, she thought she knew where this was going. She didn't. "But I got voted class president instead. I wasn't happy, but it turned out okay. I still got to help pick the service project."

Sue let out a disbelieving laugh. "Well, I guess in cases where 'settling' is actually 'overachieving', then it's okay. But where people's emotions are at stake, don't ever do it!"

"Okay!" Shelly said thoughtfully, "You know, you really are like my big sister."

"You think so?" Sue smiled. She loved the idea that any Donahue – and this Donahue in particular – would think of her as family.

"Absolutely! Also, pretending like you don't know the Netflix password so I can't watch that show is **totally** a big sister move."

"You knew about that?" Sue gasped.

"Of course!"

Just then, Dotty appeared in the hallway. She was wearing one of Lexie's formal dresses and the highest heels she'd ever tried on. "What are you doing? We should be having a fashion show!"

"Huh. I've never been in a fashion show before," Sue responded.

"You've never had sisters before," Shelly reminded her. She grabbed Sue's hand and they raced back to Lexie's room, Dotty wobbling after them. And for the rest of the night, Netflix, drunken confessions, and wasted opportunities were forgotten.


	5. Chapter 4, Part 1

Note: I do not own _The Middle._ I wish I did, so I could help make sure the Sue spin-off happens! No copyright infringement is intended.

Note: This is another long chapter that I split into two parts. Sean will appear in Part 2. I've introduced a new character and a new location in this chapter. Feel free to post in the reviews what you think inspired the name choices.

The next weekend, there was a barbecue at the Donahues' house. It had started with just the Donahue and Heck families, but they were quickly joined by half the neighborhood: Bill Norwood and his new girlfriend, Mr. Johnson, Cindy, Brad, and many others. Even Carly stopped by.

Carly's presence concerned Sue. As she quietly confided to her mom and Brad, "It's not that I don't want to see Carly. I mean, I've barely seen her at all the last couple of years!"

"We've tried!" Brad exclaimed. "But we've been busy with college and no-cut a cappella, and she's been busy with…"

"Feedings. Burping. Nap times. Lots and lots and lots of dirty diapers," Frankie rattled off.

Brad shuddered at the mention of dirty diapers. "We just don't have anything in common with her anymore. Including our schedules!"

"Yes, but…" Sue glanced around, making sure no one was close enough to overhear, "the problem is... I'm worried about her being around the Donahues!"

Frankie and Brad exchanged puzzled looks, before Frankie responded, "Why? You do know she's been around the Donahues her entire life?"

"I know! But ever since she found out about me and Sean, she keeps talking about how she's always known that we belonged together, and how she predicted years ago that he and I would get married some day!"

"That's so sweet!" Frankie sighed, while Brad nodded his agreement. Then, at the expression on Sue's face, Frankie queried, "That's…not sweet?"

"Mom! We haven't even had our first date yet! It's way too soon to be talking about marriage! And what if she says something like that in front of one of the Donahues, and they tell Sean, and it scares him, and he changes his mind about me, and we never go out on a first date at all?!"

"I don't think he'll…" Brad started.

"No, I can't risk it. I have to keep her away from the Donahues!" Sue was vehement, "I can't let them think that I'm thinking about marriage already! I mean, I've got another year of school, and I've got to find a job, and Sean's got lots of years of school and a residency and all kinds of stuff I have no clue about…it's just, it's too soon. Much, much too soon. Oh, no! She's talking to Dotty!" Sue hurried off.

"She's right, of course," Frankie said. "It is way too early to be talking about marriage."

Brad gave Frankie a disbelieving look. "My mom said she saw you at the drug store, looking through bridal magazines. Twice."

Frankie waved a hand and said dismissively, "Oh, those weren't for Sue. Those were for… oh, crap. Just don't tell her, okay?"

Brad saluted, "Yes, ma'am!"

An hour later, most of the guests had left. Mike and Ron, bottles in hand, stood near the grill, which they were supposed to be cleaning. Mike winced as loud laughter erupted. He didn't look to see where it originated, but he figured it likely came from his daughter or wife, or one of the Donahues. Or maybe all of them.

"So, how are things at your house?" Mike asked Ron.

"Loud," Ron responded, thinking of all the girls' nights that had occurred over the last few weeks. "And it's going to get even louder once Sean gets home."

Mike was skeptical. "Is that possible?"

"Sure. You've seen how excited they all are now, when he's on another continent. Just wait 'til he gets back and they actually start dating! Every date is going to cause a commotion. And knowing Nancy, she's going to want a detailed recap of each one, so she can make a scrapbook about it."

Mike chuckled, "Yeah, and Sue's going to be busy filling up binders. Probably a new one for every date. With stickers. And glitter. Lots of glitter."

"Well, just remember, they'll be headed back to school before you know it. Things will calm down some then." The two men clinked their bottles in a toast, then each took a swig. After a moment, Ron continued, "Of course, once Sean's back in Gumford, he's going to be so busy with school and Sue and everything else, that we'll never get to see him. It won't be as bad as him being in Africa for three months, but still…" He glanced at Mike, "And it'll be the same with Sue. Senior year, a part-time job, a boyfriend, all her other activities, she won't be around much, either."

"Yeah. And after that, graduation," Mike sighed. After a thoughtful pause, both men took another drink. Just then, Sue ran past. "Hey, where's the fire?" Mike called.

She pointed to the cell phone she was holding to her ear, and mouthed "Privacy" before disappearing around the side of the house. A few minutes later, Sue danced into view, joyfully shouting, "Yes! Yes! Yes!"

"Sue? What's going on?" Frankie called as she rushed over. Quickly, Sue was surrounded by family and friends.

"That was Evan Ackerman, the CEO of Franklin Butterfield Hotels and Resorts! You remember, I interviewed with him for their scholarship. He's in Gumford for several days, and he wants me to have lunch with him tomorrow!" After a chorus of congratulatory exclamations from the others, Sue continued, "Apparently, Franklin Butterfield has just bought St. George's Inn in Gumford, and he's in town to help with the transition. I'll be having lunch with him and Brooke MacDonald, the new manager of the inn!"

"Really?" Frankie breathed. "Do you think they might offer you a job?"

"Wouldn't that be amazing!" Sue exclaimed. "But an internship or even just a shadowing gig would be incredible, too!" At the look on her father's face, Sue quickly amended, "But a paying job would be even better!" After relaying a few more details about the call, she said, "Oh! I should text Sean! He'll be so excited for me!"

"Working on it!" Nancy responded, not looking up from her phone.

"Hitting 'send' now!" Dotty announced, as she made a final tap on her phone screen.

"Already done!" Shelly shrugged, as she put her phone away.

Nancy finished sending her own message, then looked up and caught Sue's surprised expression. She quickly reassured her, "Oh, you should text him about it, too, sweetie! He'll love it!"

Mike said quietly to Ron, "How about you? Think he'll love to hear about it from you, too?" Ron shook his head in silent laughter.


	6. Chapter 4, Part 2

Note: I do not own _The Middle._ No copyright infringement intended.

Note: This chapter is heavy on exposition and light on humor. We should get back to the regular format in the next chapter.

The next day, Sue arrived for lunch at the nicest restaurant in Gumford. She'd come from her apartment, where Lexie had helped with her hair, make-up, and wardrobe. Despite looking "business chic" (as Lexie described her), Sue was a bundle of nerves. The incessant buzzing of her phone hadn't helped. She knew her family and friends meant well by texting and calling to wish her luck, but she needed to be concentrating on not tripping over her own feet, not on her phone. She turned it off, then breathed a sigh of relief at the sudden calm.

Within 30 minutes of sitting down at the table, Sue couldn't remember why she'd been so nervous. By the time they left the restaurant two hours later, she felt like she had two new friends. Sue learned that Brooke had started out as a mentee of Evan's, then spent the last 15 years moving from one Franklin Butterfield property to another, as needed. But now she'd decided to settle in Gumford long-term. Sue was enthralled, as Evan and Brooke shared anecdotes from their years in hotel management. They asked for her opinions on everything from new trends in hotel décor to frequent visitor complaints, and shared their own insights on those topics. Sue desperately wished she'd brought a binder so she could make notes.

After leaving the restaurant, they went to St. George's Inn for a tour. Evan and Brooke relayed the inn's history, as well as the plans they had made for its future. Afterwards, they sat around a table in a conference room. Brooke laid some papers on the table.

"Sue, almost 20 years ago, Evan took a chance on me. He gave me a job, and the opportunity to gain the knowledge and experience I needed to succeed in this business. Today, I'd like to take a chance on you."

Sue stifled a squeal. Barely.

"I'd like to hire you to work here at St. George's. Full-time for now, but we'll switch to part-time once your classes resume. Now, it's going to be hard work. I'll expect you to help with the transition team, as well as with the day-to-day operations of the inn. Your schedule will be flexible: there will be days where we'll need you to arrive by 7 am, and other days where we may want you to come in late and work until 9 or 10 at night. Do you think you can handle that?"

"Absolutely!" Sue squeaked, still desperately trying to stifle a squeal. She cleared her throat and continued, "This sounds like a fantastic opportunity, and I am really looking forward to joining your team!" She couldn't tell if that had been too cheesy, and she was too excited to care if it was. But then she realized: "Oh, but I do already have a part-time job. I've worked there since I was a teenager. But it sounds like I'll need to give notice…"

Evan smiled at Brooke as he said, "I certainly appreciate employees who show long-term commitment to their employers!" He switched his attention to Sue, "But sometimes change is a good thing." He nodded to Brooke, who slid the papers over to Sue.

Brooke continued, "Here's the information about the job and its benefits." Sue skimmed the first page; her eyebrows shot up when she spied an hourly rate that was significantly more than she was earning at Spudsy's. "The position is 40 hours a week, so you'll earn overtime pay if you work more than that."

Sue's decision was made. "When do I start?"

Sue stayed at the inn another hour, signing paperwork and discussing her new schedule and responsibilities. Afterwards, she stopped by her apartment to share the good news with Lexie and let her know she needed to move back into the apartment immediately. Lexie insisted that she stay long enough to celebrate with ice cream. Then she stopped by Spudsy's to hand in her notice to the manager, who was working that night. After a prolonged negotiation, Sue agreed to stay on as an occasional filler if they were short-staffed. She suspected that "occasional" would be "frequent", but she made it clear that her new job would always be her priority. She was worried about being overworked, but she figured it was better to be on the safe side and maintain her connection with Spudsy's – at least temporarily.

It was past supper time before she finally arrived back home to Orson. She was surprised to find a hastily-scrawled "Congratulations!" poster in the living room.

"How did you know? I wanted to surprise you!" Sue exclaimed, as her parents greeted her with hugs. Even Brick put down his book long enough to hug her.

"Lexie called Axl, and he texted us. We're so happy for you! We would have made you a cake, but…this is the best we could do on short notice." Frankie produced a can of her emergency frosting with a candle stuck in it. Sue blew out the candle, but passed on the frosting (much to Frankie's relief!)

The family settled on the sofa to listen to Sue excitedly talk about her day and the new job. When she finally paused for breath, Mike interjected, "Sue, I'm really proud of you. You clearly made a great impression during that interview, and it's paid off."

"Tell the truth, Dad," Sue teased. "You're really just excited about all the peace and quiet you're going to have now that I'm moving back to Gumford!"

"Not even close," Mike said as he put his arm around Sue's shoulder. "We're going to miss you. But we do need to get you packed and on the road. You need a good night's sleep before you start your new job."

"Do you really have to go back now? Couldn't you stay here tonight, and just drive to the inn in the morning?" Frankie asked.

"I would, but they want me to be there by 7:30. There's a super important meeting at 8 am, and I'll need to prep first."

Just then, they heard a loud knock and the front door flew open. "Is she here? Is she okay?" Nancy entered. When she spotted Sue, she sighed in relief. "There you are! Sean's been trying to reach you for hours, but your phone keeps going to voicemail and you haven't answered any of your texts. He's been worried sick!"

"Oh, no!" Sue rushed over to grab her phone out of her purse. "I turned my phone off before lunch, and never turned it back on!" While Frankie filled Nancy in on Sue's news, Sue turned on her phone and scrolled through dozens of missed calls and texts, many of them from Sean. With the time difference and the early hours he kept at the clinic, she assumed he'd already be asleep so she didn't call him back. Instead, she texted:

 **Sue:** _Sooo sorry I missed you! Amazing day! I got a new job! Start 2morrow am! Moving back to Gumford 2nite. Will email with deets later. Love you! Miss you!_

"I texted him," Sue explained. "I'll email him after I get back to the apartment."

"I'll text him, too, so he'll know I've seen you. Sue, I am so excited for you! This job sounds wonderful!" Nancy hugged her. "Wait, have you had supper yet?" When Sue shook her head, Nancy continued, "I'll gather some things for you to take. Don't leave without seeing me!" She hurried home.

Sue packed enough clothes and toiletries to make it through the week, promising her parents she'd get the rest of her stuff over the weekend. Nancy and Ron arrived with a small cooler and a satchel full of food. Frankie and Mike watched jealously as those were loaded into the car. As Sue drove away, her family, Nancy, and Ron waved good-bye.

More than an hour later, Sue was still settling back into her apartment when her phone made a familiar noise. She snatched it up, and within seconds, Sean's face was on the screen.

"Sean? What are you doing up this late? It's the middle of the night over there!"

"Well, I had to see you to congratulate you on the new job! I am so excited for you!"

Sue quickly filled him in on the highlights, then said, "I'll email you with the rest of details, and we can talk more this weekend. I know you need to get to sleep."

"It really is okay, Sue. Doctors have to get used to working with very little sleep," he joked. "Besides, you were there for me the night I found out about this fellowship. One of the most important things that's ever happened to me, and I got to share it with the person I love most. It was like a miracle or something, you showing up when you did!" He and Sue smiled at each other. "You know, you never did tell me why you came by that night."

"Oh, um, I…was going to tell you that I liked you. And give you the snow globe."

Sean shook his head disbelievingly. "Wow. Just wow." With a lop-sided smile, "We really are going to have a lot to talk about when I get home!" Sue nodded. After a thoughtful pause, Sean continued, "I want to share in all of your important moments, Sue. In a few weeks, we'll be able to celebrate in person; but right now - this is how we have to do it. And this really is something to celebrate!"

"Isn't it incredible?! Things really are starting to turn around for me, Sean. First, the guy I love says he loves me too, and now I land a dream job out of nowhere! You know, I think some of your Donahue good luck is rubbing off on me!"

"Donahue luck?" Sean shook his head. "Sue, do you remember what you said to me on Christmas Eve?"

"Some, but, mostly I remember all the things I wish I had said to you that night, like 'I love you,' and 'Will you go out on a date with me?' and 'Your kisses are like puppies and double rainbows and dolphins and ice cream and glitter and…'"

"Sue, Sue!" Sean waved his hands to get her attention.

"Sorry, I guess I went off on a tangent there…"

"Just a bit!" Sean laughed. "That night, I was second-guessing myself and my career choice. And you told me exactly what I needed to hear: that I was going to be great, but not because I was a Donahue – but because I was me. That's true of you, too. You're not getting this opportunity because of luck. You're getting it because you earned it, because they can see in you what I see: someone whose perseverance and positivity are a gift to everyone around her. Even if it took some of us an embarrassingly long time to say that out loud!"

Sue sighed, "I love you, Sean!"

"I love you, too, Suzy Q!"

They chatted a bit more, before signing off for the night. They both had early mornings to prepare for.


	7. Chapter 5

Note: I do not own _The Middle._ No copyright infringement intended.

Over the next few weeks, Sue was so busy she hardly had time to think. She worked at the inn anywhere from 5 to 7 days a week. She squeezed in a few shifts at Spudsy's. When she had free time on the weekends, she went to Orson to visit her family and the Donahues. And when she had to work at the inn on the weekends, the Hecks and Donahues came to see her. They would all eat lunch together at the inn's restaurant or have a picnic on the grounds. After each of those visits, Nancy would email Sean a glowing report on how well Sue was doing at her new job. (She really was doing well. And since Sue's co-workers liked her - and were a little bit intimidated by Nancy - they made sure to tell Nancy that!)

Finally, August arrived. Sean was scheduled to leave Ghana on a Thursday night and arrive in Indianapolis by supper time on Friday. Unfortunately, his return coincided with one of the busiest times at the inn: freshmen move-in weekend. All of those freshmen had families that needed to stay somewhere, and news that the inn was "under new management" had made it even more popular than in past years. Every room had been booked weeks in advance.

The Sunday before Sean's return, he and Sue managed to squeeze in one last private FaceTime session.

"Hey there, Suzy Q! Less than a week to go!"

"I know! I can't wait!" She was practically bouncing up and down she was so excited.

"Were you able to take time off on Friday? I know it's a really busy time, so I understand if you can't…" Sean held his breath. He really wanted Sue to be there when he got off the plane in Indianapolis, but he didn't want her to feel bad if she had to work. He knew how much this job meant to her.

"Yes! Brooke has been super understanding! She said I can leave early that afternoon, so I can meet you at the airport! But she did have one condition…"

"Oh?"

"Yeah, she wants me to bring you by the inn to meet her as soon as possible. I guess I've talked about you a **lot** this summer," Sue shrugged and smiled, "and she thinks you're too good to be true. She wants to meet you herself. So does everyone else! You're kind of a legend at St. George's!"

Sean laughed. "Well, I don't know about being a legend, but I'm really looking forward to meeting everyone there. You've talked about them all so much, I feel like I know them already."

"Yeah, but," Sue's smile faded. "I do have some bad news. I am going to have to work on Saturday. With so many people checking in and out, and needing help going back and forth to campus, it's going to be an 'all hands on deck' situation."

"Well, we were expecting that," Sean reassured her. "What really matters is that you'll be there on Friday when I get off the plane. Honestly, I don't know how good a company I'll be on Saturday morning anyway. The return trip will take about 24 hours, and I'm sure I'll have a major case of jet lag. I'll probably just sleep. And have an enormous, home-cooked breakfast. And sleep some more!"

"You wish! You know everyone in the neighborhood is going to be dropping by to welcome you home! You'll be lucky to sleep past 8 am!"

"I don't know. We are having a barbecue that evening, and Mom has invited everyone I've ever met! I'm hoping folks will wait until then to show up."

"Have you met our neighbors?" Sue laughed. "There's no way they're going to wait until then to stop by! But I'll be there as soon as I can. Brooke has promised that she'll let me leave as soon as possible that afternoon."

"Good! Hopefully we'll be able to have some alone time that night. You know the barbecue was not my idea. My parents are really excited about it, but I'd been hoping to spend my first real night home with you. Picking me up at the airport with my parents doesn't count!"

"It's okay, really! Everyone is so excited to see you, and to hear all about your experiences. This way, they'll all get to ask their questions and chat with you at once, and they'll do it while I'm at work." She smiled mischievously, "That frees up more of your time for me!"

Sean grinned, "I like the way you think!" More cautiously, "So, what about Sunday?"

"I have the entire day off," Sue reassured him. "Brooke has promised that no matter what happens, there is no way she'll call me into work. So, we'll have the whole day to spend together!"

"Finally!" Sean playfully pumped his fist in triumph, while Sue giggled. "I will have to go to church with my parents that morning, but after that, we can have our first date…at last!" He paused, "It's funny, isn't it, that we've been together for 3 months, but we're just now going out on our first date? Of course, I have spent this entire time coming up with ideas for that first date…"

"Me, too!" Sue exclaimed. "I've even made a binder!"

Sean laughed. "So, what's your top pick? Dinner at a fancy restaurant? Dinner and a movie? A picnic at the park? Anything you want to do, we'll do."

"Um, I have an idea, but I'm afraid you'll think it's kinda childish…" Sue winced.

"Sue, whatever it is, I'm sure I'll enjoy it. I'll get to be with you, after all!"

"Well, do you remember what you said that day by the side of the road? That you weren't sure when you started to feel like we were soulmates, but it might have started when we were kids…"

"And my mom forced me to hold your hand at the zoo?" His face lit up as recognition dawned. "You want to go to the zoo?!"

"Yeah, I mean, if you don't think that it's silly. I was just thinking that this time when we went…"

"I'll get to hold your hand…and without my mom forcing me to?! I love it, Sue!"

"So, you don't think it's too juvenile?"

"No, not at all! In fact, I think it's the perfect first date for us!"

They beamed happily at each other for a moment, before Sue got serious. "Sean, I am so, so excited that you're finally coming home, but, honestly, I'm also feeling just a little bit…" Her voice trailed off.

"Nervous?" At Sue's nod, Sean smiled. "I am, too. After all, it's been well over a year since I first really started hoping that we'd be together. You build up a lot of expectations in that amount of time."

Sue nodded her head in agreement. "True. But I guess there has been a good side to being apart the last few months."

Sean was skeptical. "You think so?"

"Yes, I do. Our problem before was that we were terrible at communicating with each other."

"That's an understatement!" Sean laughed.

"But since we haven't been able to communicate much this summer, I really feel like every time we have talked…"

"We've made it count?" Sean finished.

"Absolutely! And it's paid off. I mean 4-months-ago-Sue would never have suggested going to the zoo on a first date; she would have tried to come up with something sophisticated and intellectual to try to impress you. And she definitely wouldn't have admitted being nervous!"

"Same here. You're right, of course; we're in a much better place now, because we're able to communicate with each other. That's going to come in handy in the future, too. We're both going to be so busy with school and jobs and everything else, we're going to have to remember to make the time we do spend together count, and to actually talk to each other!"

"Less than a week," she sighed.

"Less than a week," he agreed. "I love you, Suzy Q!"

"I love you, too!" Sue was teary-eyed after they signed off. She knew that the coming week was going to feel like it would last forever.


	8. Chapter 6

Note: I do not own _The Middle._ No copyright infringement intended.

Note: This chapter was inspired by an event in my life. It seemed like something that would happen to Sue and Sean, too.

Friday had finally arrived. Sue had been too excited to sleep, so by the time her alarm went off she was already driving to the inn. She had an overnight bag with her. The plan was for her to head straight to her parents' house after work. There, she'd change into a cute new dress Lexie had helped her pick out. She'd ride with the Donahues to the airport, then spend the rest of the evening with Sean and his family. She'd decided to stay at her parents' house that night instead of driving back to Gumford. She'd have to get up at the crack of dawn to make it back to the inn before 8 am, but the early morning commute was worth it since it would enable her to have more time with Sean.

Sue and the rest of the staff spent the day double-checking to make sure everything was ready. Along with their usual amenities, the inn would be offering additional services for move-in weekend, like an on-call shuttle service. One of Sue's contributions was a file (available digitally or in print form – binder optional) containing any piece of information she thought the families might find useful, like campus and town maps, and details on local stores and restaurants. As a student and former tour guide at East Indiana, Sue felt a responsibility to represent the inn and the university as thoroughly, professionally, and enthusiastically as she could. When guests started arriving earlier than expected, Sue got so caught up in being an unofficial goodwill ambassador that she ended up leaving for Orson later than she'd intended.

She hurried into the Heck house and called, "I know! I know! I'm late! But I should still have time to…" She came to a halt as she realized that Ron was with her parents. And he looked upset. "What's going on? I thought we were going to meet around 5:00?"

"Sue, we spoke to Sean earlier. He had some news." Sue frantically looked to her parents, but they seemed confused too. "There were mechanical issues with the plane in Accra, causing his flight to be delayed by several hours." He took a deep breath, then continued, "He missed his flight out of Brussels."

"Wait, what? Where is he? Like right now? Where is he right now? He's supposed to be en route to Indianapolis, right now!" Sue was practically hyperventilating. Frankie rubbed Sue's back.

"He was able to get on a different flight out of Brussels this afternoon. He should currently be somewhere over the Atlantic."

"Somewhere over the Atlantic? But he's supposed to be almost here!" Sue was crying. Hard. Frankie led her over to the sofa to sit.

"So what happens now?" Mike asked Ron.

"We'll find out for sure once he lands in Newark. The airline was going to see if they could get him on a later flight to Indianapolis." Ron sighed and said, "Sean didn't sound optimistic. He said it was more likely that he'd end up having to stay in Newark overnight and fly back here in the morning."

"In the morning!" Frankie exclaimed, hugging a still sobbing Sue. "Oh, no. Nancy must be devastated!"

"She is. We all are." Ron shook his head. "Nancy's spent the last few days cooking all of Sean's favorites. And we had everything set up for a 'Welcome Home!' dinner tonight." He shrugged, "I know we'll be able to use some of it for the picnic tomorrow, but it's just not the same. We've all been counting on having him home tonight."

"Well, maybe that will still happen," Mike said, trying to sound more optimistic than he felt.

"Yeah, maybe. Look, I better get back to Nancy and the girls." Ron walked over and put a hand on Sue's shoulder. "Sue, we'll let you know as soon as we hear from Sean. If he can still make it to Indianapolis tonight, then we **will** all be there to meet him." Sue stood and hugged him. Ron hugged her tight for a moment, then cleared his throat and pulled away. He walked to the front door, turning back for a moment to nod his head in farewell, before leaving.

"Sue, I…" Frankie started to speak.

"Not right now. I just…I can't." Sue fled to her room. Frankie and Mike watched her go.

Several hours passed. Crying and exhaustion caught up with Sue, who dozed off and on for a while. When she finally woke later that night, Frankie had to break the news that Sean would indeed be stuck in Newark overnight. When Sue checked her phone, she saw she'd missed his text.

 **Sean:** _I am so sorry. I can't tell you how much I wish I was there with you. I'll call you later._

Sue sat huddled on her bed. Frankie stroked her hair. "Sweetie, you need to eat. Do you want me to fix you a sandwich or something?"

"No. I'm not hungry," Sue listlessly responded. She glanced up when Mike appeared in her doorway. With a sigh, "Dad, I don't want to hear it."

"Hear what?" Mike asked.

"Aren't you going to tell me that I'm overreacting? That waiting one more day isn't a big deal when I've already waited 3 months? And that I need to quit crying and moping?"

"Actually, no. I wasn't going to say any of that."

"You weren't?" Frankie asked, shocked.

"Nope. I was going to tell you to go ahead. Get it all out of your system now." Seeing Frankie and Sue's confused expressions, Mike sighed and continued, "Look, we all know how much you've been looking forward to this reunion. And it's not just because he's been gone for three months. It's also about the months before that, when you two were…" He paused for a moment, searching for a way to express it. "When you two were circling around each other."

"Circling around each other?" Frankie mouthed, incredulously.

He shrugged at Frankie and continued. "You two have been waiting a long time to be together. But you want to know the difference between you?" Sue didn't respond, so Mike continued. "You've spent the last three months with your family and friends. You've been at his house for family dinners and movie nights with his sisters. His mom's been giving you care packages. And his dad's been slipping you money to cover the data overage fees you've racked up on our family plan this summer."

Sue's eyes were huge. "You knew about that?"

"Of course I knew. But the point is, you've been missing him, but you've been doing it from the comfort of home, surrounded by the people you both love. Meanwhile, he's been half a world away, surrounded by strangers. No matter how worthwhile his work has been, I guarantee you he's been counting the days until he was home. So as upset as you are right now, he's probably even more upset. If you're still crying when you talk to him, you're just going to make him feel worse."

Frankie blinked a few times, surprised at how astute Mike's observation had been. Then she added, "I agree with your dad. Sean has always been very sensitive to others' feelings. It must be hurting him to know that you and his family are disappointed and he can't do anything about it. And he's probably blaming himself."

"But it wasn't his fault there were mechanical issues!" Sue exclaimed.

"Do you really think that will make a difference to him?" Frankie asked. Sue shook her head. "So go ahead, get all the crying out now. Then when he calls you tonight, do what you can to make him feel better."

"You're right. You're both right. I need to be focusing on Sean right now." She stood, suddenly full of restless energy. "I think I should go back to Gumford tonight. I'll be able to get to work earlier in the morning, so maybe I'll be able to leave earlier too. And it'll give me more time to collect myself, before I talk to Sean later."

"That sounds like a good idea, but are you okay to…" Mike started, but was interrupted by Brick, who'd popped through the hole in the wall between his bedroom and Sue's.

"You're going back to Gumford tonight? I can drive you!"

"That's okay, Brick. I can drive myself," Sue responded.

"Are you sure? You were really upset a few minutes ago. I don't want you to cry while you're driving." Sue smiled at her brother, thinking how sweet it was for him to be concerned about her. Then he continued, "And I've been looking forward to driving your car."

"Wait, is this all about my car? You don't care about my feelings, you just want to drive my car?" Sue asked, aghast.

"Of course it's about your feelings, not the car!" Then, whispering, "I'm lying."

"Argh!" Sue shrieked. She stormed out of the room.

A slight smile crossed Brick's face. To his parents he said, "She'll drive better annoyed than she would if she were crying."

Frankie hugged him. "You're a good little brother."

Brick shrugged. "I know."

Before she left Orson, Sue texted Sean to tell him her change in plans. She suggested a tentative time for him to call; it would give her a 2-hour window to get home and decompress. As the suggested time neared, Sue was snuggled up on her bed in her apartment, waiting for his call. She was glad she'd told him to call instead of using FaceTime, because one look at her face would show him just how upset she still was. Her phone rang a few minutes early.

"Sean? Are you okay? Where are you?"

"Yeah, I'm okay. Really disappointed, but I'm okay. I wasn't expecting to spend my first night back in the States at a hotel in New Jersey!"

"I know! It's a huge let-down, but we're all really looking forward to seeing you tomorrow!" Sue was trying to sound as positive as possible. "Is everything set for you to fly to Indianapolis in the morning?"

"I'm on an 8:30 flight. I should land in Indianapolis by lunch time." He paused, "You'll still be at work then, right?"

"Yes. We have this huge picnic lunch planned for all the guests, and I have to help with that. But I did talk to Brooke earlier, and told her what happened with your flight. She's going to try to work it out so that I can leave by early afternoon." Sue paused for a moment, then said, "I really wanted to be there to meet you at the airport. You've been away all summer being a superhero, and you deserve a huge welcome home!"

Sean sighed, then said, "I'm not a superhero, Sue. I wish I were. Superheroes don't let their families and girlfriends down…"

"First of all, I may not read comic books, but even I know that's not true! And secondly **you** didn't let us down. The stupid airplane did!"

"I know. But I still feel like this is my fault…"

"Hey!" Sue interjected. "None of that, mister! I won't allow it!" Sean laughed, in spite of himself. Sue went on, "This is massively disappointing, absolutely. But you're several thousand miles closer to home now than you were a few hours ago! And it won't be much longer before you really are home!"

Sean took a moment to respond. Then, "Sue, I've always loved how you can find the good in any situation. I need you and your positivity in my life."

"You have me. Always. Maybe not always positive, though," she admitted.

"That's okay. I love you in any mood!"

Sue wiped away a tear, then said in a deliberately upbeat tone, "If you were here tonight, we'd all be pestering you with questions. So…you never finished telling me about your trip to Kakum National Park. Can you talk to me about that? Or…about anything?"

"Absolutely," he agreed. And for the next hour, they shared anecdotes and jokes. They both sensed that the other person was trying to distract them, and they loved each other for it.


	9. Chapter 7, Part 1

Note: I do not own _The Middle._ No copyright infringement intended.

After another largely sleepless night, Sue arrived at the inn. She was grateful when her boss Brooke – who knew about the previous night's events - greeted her with a cup of coffee and some aspirin. Sue had received texts from Sean telling her when he arrived at the airport, and then when he was about to board the plane to Indianapolis. Knowing she wouldn't hear from him again until after he landed, Sue put her phone away and focused on her work.

When Sean arrived in Indianapolis around lunchtime, he was greeted by his parents and sisters. As they loaded his belongings into the car, Nancy hugged him (for about the dozenth time) and said, "I know you're disappointed Sue couldn't be here."

Sean grimaced. "Well, if I had gotten here last night, she would have been! I'm just hoping that from now on, our timing will improve."

Ron suggested, "We could go to Gumford and surprise her."

Sean was seriously tempted, but said, "No, I'll wait. This is their busiest day of the year. I got a text from her earlier, saying how hectic things are over there. I don't want to be a distraction. And she probably wouldn't be able to talk for more than a minute anyway. I'll see her tonight." He put his arm around his mom's shoulders. "Let's go home. I've been looking forward to having your cooking again!" And so the Donahues headed back to Orson.

It was probably a good thing that they didn't stop off at St. George's Inn, where chaos reigned. The day had started off well – bustling, but well. But then the air conditioning system crashed, and they learned it would be several hours before a tech who specialized in their system would arrive. All of the common areas needed to be cooled off, and with a large crowd expected for lunch, they were pressed for time. Sue and the rest of the staff took turns going to different stores in Gumford, buying any kind of fan they could find: box, floor, desk, handheld, etc. They also bought bags of ice, since Brooke decided to offer complimentary iced beverages to anyone who entered the inn. As lunchtime passed and the afternoon wore on without the air conditioning being fixed, the staff came up with more creative ways to cool off the guests, including turning on the lawn sprinklers and providing water balloons and super soakers. Seeing families taking breaks from moving in to play together provided some much needed levity in what could have been a disastrous day.

The picnic for Sean was supposed to start at 5:00 that evening. Sue had hoped to get there early so she could spend time with him beforehand. But when Sean texted her around 4:00 to tell her that most people had already arrived ("To help," they'd all claimed – as if Nancy would need help!), she was still at the inn. She and the rest of the staff were desperately trying to appease guests, many of whom had returned from campus and were upset to find that the A/C system was still down. Two techs had finally shown up and were working to fix the problem, but it was taking a while. Finally, after 4:30, everyone was delighted when the A/C started. Sue and most of the staff – and even several of the guests – whooped with joy and danced through the lobby. Sue then rushed to the employee break room, where she was met at the door by Brooke.

Brooke handed Sue her purse and keys and said, "Go. Now. And thank you."

Sue raced out to her car. As tempted as she was to head straight to Orson to see Sean, one glance at her bedraggled clothing convinced her that she needed to stop by her apartment first. When she got there, Lexie was in the living room. She was dressed for her evening shift at the restaurant.

"Sue! I thought you'd already be in Orson! Isn't it time for the picnic?" Lexie asked.

Sue threw her purse down on the island and called out as she hurried toward her room, "Don't ask!" She looked over her shoulder at Lexie, "Will you still be here in 20 minutes?" When Lexie nodded, Sue continued, "I'll need you to blow-dry my hair while I do my make-up. Or you can do my make-up while I blow-dry my hair. Or…argh! Just don't leave, okay?!" Sue disappeared into her room.

"Ooookay," Lexie said.

About 30 minutes later, Sean got a text from Sue.

 **Sue:** _On my way. Can't believe our timing got messed up again. Will see you soon. Love you!_

"Sue's on her way," he called out excitedly.

"Finally!" Frankie muttered to Mike. "Poor thing. After yesterday, and the mess at the inn today, she'll probably be a wreck when she gets here!" Mike silently agreed.

Sean spent the next 30 minutes drifting from group to group, chatting and answering questions. It was a good thing that he kept being asked the same questions over and over again, because he was operating on auto-pilot. He kept checking the time, willing it to go faster. Finally, he gave up. He slipped around to the front of the house, hoping no one would follow him. He sat on the front stoop and pulled out his phone to check the time yet again.

"It'll be at least another 10 minutes before she gets here."

"Oh!" Sean exclaimed. He hadn't realized Brick had sat down beside him. "I know. But I want to see her as soon as she gets here." He made a face. "We've had issues with our timing."

"Yeah, I've heard," Brick said, dryly.

They sat in silence for a moment. Finally Sean spoke again, "I appreciate your keeping me company, but if you'd like to get back to the party…" his voice trailed off as he saw Brick's incredulous expression. "Scratch that. I'll understand if you'd like to get back to a book."

Brick shrugged. "That's okay. Besides, you can use me right now." When Sean looked confused, Brick explained, "It won't be long before they realize you've disappeared and come looking for you. I can distract them."

"How?"

Brick gestured to the line of vehicles parked on the street. "I'll start licking the cars."

"Does that usually work?"

"Always."

Sean laughed. After a moment, he looked down at Brick and asked, "Are we bonding right now?"

"Yes."

Sean smiled, then said thoughtfully, "You know, Axl and I have been friends practically since we were born. And Sue has spent a lot of time with my sisters this summer." Brick nodded. "So maybe you and I should do this more often. Bond, I mean. Not sit on front stoops."

"By 'bonding', do you mean hanging out in the same room, with minimal conversation?"

Sean grinned. "Yeah, I can do that."

"Me, too." They shook on it. Then Brick continued, "I was thinking of re-watching _The Hobbit_ movies. Maybe starting on Tuesday."

"I am so in!" Sean declared.

By that time, folks had started to drift into the front yard. But contrary to Brick's prediction, no one approached Sean. They were all there to observe the scene that was about to unfold. Nancy and Frankie – and several others – had their phones out, ready to take pictures.

"Are you really going to take pictures again? Don't you think we should give them some privacy?" Mike murmured to Frankie.

"Nancy wants lots of pictures for the scrapbook." Then Frankie give Mike a look, "And I don't see you staying in the backyard to give them privacy." Mike shrugged.

Meanwhile, Nancy called out to her husband, "Ron!" He hurried over, looking confused. "Go get some tissues!"

"Do you think Sue will be that upset?" he asked.

"What? Oh, yes. Bring some for her, too!" Ron hurried off. Nancy looked over at Sean's expectant expression, then wiped a tear from her eye.

Over the next few minutes, even more people clustered in the front yard. Sean was now standing, anxiously watching for Sue to arrive. Shelly and a couple of the neighborhood kids ran down the street, scouting for her car. Shelly was the first to return.

"She's coming!"

Sean rushed to the edge of the lawn. The crowd followed him. Sue's car came into view. Sue threw the car into "park" at the foot of the Heck's driveway; leaving the engine running and her door ajar, she jumped out and ran across the street.

"Sean! Sean!" she cried, as she threw herself into his arms. She wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his neck as he lifted her off the ground. They held onto each other tightly for several long moments. Sue was audibly crying. So were several members of their audience. Sean finally gently placed her down on the ground, and cupped her face in his hands.

"I love you, Sue."

"I love you, too!" She sniffled. Nancy slipped over and handed her one of the few tissues that were still left (she and Frankie had already used most of the rest.) "I'm sorry, Sean. I promised myself I wouldn't cry when I saw you!"

He pressed a kiss to her forehead. "It's okay, Sue. I've told you: I love you in any mood! Besides," he dropped his voice to a whisper, "I kinda feel like crying, too!"

Sue giggled, then stood on her tiptoes and kissed him. He kissed her back, pouring all of the love and longing of the last few months into it.

Mike looked at Frankie. "This is probably going to last for a while, so I'm going to move her car." Frankie was too captivated to hear him. Mike shrugged and walked off.

When the kiss ended, Sue and Sean realized that the crowd around them was cheering. They both laughed. Sue snuggled into Sean's chest and tipped her head up to look at him. "I forgot we had an audience!"

"Not for long, I hope," he murmured. He called out to the others, "Thanks, everyone, but if you don't mind, we'd like a minute alone." After a few more cheers and whistles, most of the crowd returned to the backyard. Ron herded a few of the stragglers away. Nancy stopped crying long enough to snap a few more pictures, then joined the others. Mike returned from moving Sue's car. He paused beside them and smiled, then headed to the back. Sue and Sean were alone.

"Finally!" Sue exclaimed. Sean smiled briefly, then pulled slightly away from her, a serious look on his face. "What?" Sue asked, starting to worry.

Sean shook his head. "I've been dreaming of this for a really long time. I want to memorize this moment."

"You don't have to," Sue responded. She nodded towards the backyard. "I'm pretty sure there are several dozen pictures!"

They were both laughing as they kissed again.


	10. Chapter 7, Part 2

**Note:** I do not own _The Middle._ No copyright infringement intended.

 **Note:** Thank you to leviosa-rain, who is translating this story into French. You can find her translation here: s/12994170/1/Traduction-Sue-story-continue-de-Kerry-Blue

Sue and Sean eventually joined the party. At first, Sue stuck close to Sean's side. Even when they were talking to others, they still took every opportunity they could to touch: to hold hands, to hug, even occasionally to kiss. When Sue settled on the back steps with a plate of food, Sean stayed with her while she ate; then he was pulled away to greet a couple of neighbors who had just arrived. Brad and Carly joined Sue on the steps.

"Oh, my gosh! And I thought the pictures of you two from the roadside were amazing! But they did **not** prepare me for the reality of Sue & Sean: the couple. You are the sweetest, most romantic thing I have ever seen! You're like a movie come to life!" Brad exclaimed.

Carly nodded emphatically. "I wish I could go back in time, so I could tell the 13-year-old us that dreams really do come true!"

"I know, right?" Brad agreed. "Sue, all those months we spent wondering if Sean might be interested in you…I can't believe we ever had any doubts. He is so clearly crazy in love with you!"

Sue set her empty plate to the side, then wrapped her arms around herself. "I never imagined I could be this happy!" Brad squeezed her arm, while Carly clapped with excitement. "I'll admit – I've been worried that once he was finally home, the nerves would kick in. But so far, it's been…perfect. Just perfect!"

"We're dying to know: what do you have planned for your first date?" Carly demanded. They talked for several more minutes, until Sean rejoined them.

"This brings back memories, seeing the three of you together," Sean smiled.

"Speaking of memories," Carly started. Sue held her breath; she and Carly had several Sean-related memories, and some of them were too embarrassing to be repeated. "Sue, do you remember when you wrote all those love poems for Sean?" Sue cringed; yup, those poems definitely qualified as embarrassing.

Seeing Sue's mortified expression, Brad quickly jumped up. "C'mon, Carly. Let's go check out the desserts." He walked over and grabbed her hand, whispering, "I think these two lovebirds can use some alone time!" Carly grinned and followed him away.

"Can you just forget you heard that?" Sue begged.

Sean smiled as he sat beside Sue. "I already knew about the poems."

"You did? How? When?"

"Axl mentioned it, back in May." Sean wrapped his arm around Sue's shoulders and pulled her into his side. "Did you keep them? I'd like to see them."

"No! You really don't!" Sue was adamant. "They were so, so bad!"

"I'm sure I'd love them!" Sue grimaced, so Sean continued, "I would! Because they were from you!" When Sue shook her head, Sean said, "Hey, I spent a really long time trying to show you that I loved you, and most things I tried failed. Spectacularly. Knowing that you had failed attempts at sharing your feelings, too," he shrugged, "it makes me feel a little better."

Sue's face softened. Then she blurted, "I tried to chase you down! The night of the chancellor's ball, I mean."

"Wait, what?" Sean asked, shocked.

"Well, I was on my way to the ball with my date, but I couldn't stop talking about you. And he and I both realized that I'd rather have been there with you. And that's when I knew…that my feelings for you weren't just a childhood crush anymore." Sean smiled and reached over to stroke Sue's cheek. Sue put her hand on his forearm, then spoke again. "Not surprisingly, that date ended **really** early! And then I tried to find you. I called you several times, but your phone kept going to voicemail."

"Yeah, I had turned it off. I was really upset with myself that night and didn't want to talk to anyone." Seeing Sue's quizzical look, Sean explained, "I was mad at myself for not being clear that I liked you, and was asking you on a date. It was obvious you thought I was just asking as a friend."

Sue nodded, then continued, "When I couldn't reach you by phone, I decided to follow you to Orson. But my car wouldn't start, so I stole the Winnebago. When I got to your house, your mom said you had already left." Sue shook her head, "Axl ended up going with me to the ball. But all night, I kept wondering what it would be like to be there with you."

"Oh, Sue," Sean groaned. "I can't tell you how many times that night I considered going back to Gumford to talk to you. I wish I had. We could have been together a year sooner!" He kissed her, then hugged her tight.

Sue looked over Sean's shoulder and noticed that they had an audience again. Most people were smiling. But she saw that Sean's grandmother was not. Sue pulled away from him. "Um, Sean, your grandmother doesn't seem very pleased."

Sean turned to wave at his grandmother before returning his attention to Sue. "It's okay. She's old fashioned. Being separated for 3 months probably isn't a good enough excuse for PDA to her."

"I'm so sorry!" Sue exclaimed. "I don't want to cause problems with your family!"

"You are not a problem! And everyone is going to have to get used to seeing us together. We've got a lot of time to make up for!" Sean put his arm around Sue's waist, and again pulled her snug against his side. With his other hand, he took one of Sue's hands in his. He pressed a lingering kiss to the back of her hand, and then an even longer one to her palm. "Now, she can't object to that, can she?"

Sue replied, dreamily, "I don't know. I don't know your grandmother that well."

Sean grinned. "You do make me laugh. It's one of the things I love most about you." Sue smiled brightly at him. Then they kissed again. When they finally came up for air, they realized that Sean's sisters were standing in front of them, arm in arm, with their backs to them. "Um, Dotty, Shelly, what are you doing?" Sean asked.

Dotty glanced over her shoulder at them, "We're making a wall formation, like in soccer."

"I'm almost afraid to ask, but why?"

"We're trying to block you from Grandmother's view. She said there's been so much canoodling going on she feels like she's in a soap opera!" Shelly replied. Sue and Sean both laughed loudly.

"Now that you're no longer…" Dotty held her fingers up in air quotes, "'occupied,' you should go talk to Rev. TimTom about the animals in Ghana. He's working on a song about wildlife conservation." When Sean looked at Sue apologetically, Dotty rolled her eyes. "Go on! We can keep Sue occupied."

As soon as Sean stood, Shelly took his place on the steps next to Sue. She picked up Sue's empty plate and shoved it into her brother's hands. "You can take care of this while you're gone." Sean shook his head and walked away, as Dotty sat on Sue's other side.

"Sue, Shelly and I had a really great time hanging out with you this summer. And we're not just saying that because you're dating our brother. We really do feel like you're our big sister." Shelly was nodding her head in agreement as Dotty spoke.

Sue pressed her hand to her heart. "Aw! I really feel like you're my sisters, too!"

Shelly picked up where Dotty left off, "But we're a little worried. We spent a lot of time together at the beginning of summer, but once you moved back to Gumford we saw you less. And now that Sean's home…"

"Don't get us wrong," Dotty interjected. "We are thrilled that Sean's home! We've missed him a lot!"

"Absolutely," Shelly agreed. "But we know that you'll be super busy with school and work and Sean and everything else, and we just…."

"We want to spend time with you, too," Dotty finished.

Sue was teary-eyed when she responded, "I want that, too. We should make a pledge that at least once a month, we have a girls' day."

"That sounds great! Can we start next weekend? There's a movie I really want to see!" Shelly said.

Dotty leaned across Sue and hissed at her sister, "No! No more movies for you! We all know you've been forcing Sue to take you to movies Mom doesn't approve of!"

"Does Mom…" Shelly started.

"Yes!" Dotty snapped. "So no more movies!"

"Actually, I had another idea for our first girls' day," Sue interjected, capturing the girls' attention. "Next month, we're going to start serving afternoon tea on the weekends at the inn. I've already asked my mom to come with me to the first one. You two and your mom should come, too. And maybe afterwards the two of you can stay for another sleepover at my apartment."

"That sounds like so much fun!" Dotty enthused. She and Shelly both threw their arms around Sue, who smiled as she hugged them back. Then Nancy appeared, with her phone ready to take pictures.

"Say 'scrapbook'!" Nancy called out. After Nancy finished snapping photos and moved aside, Sue could see Sean across the yard. He was watching her with his family and smiling happily. She waved at him, then went back to chatting with his sisters.

Eventually the party wound down, and the only people left were the Hecks and Sean's immediate family. By then, Sean's exhaustion was apparent.

"Sean, why don't you go relax in the living room," Nancy encouraged him. "You've had a long few days."

"It's okay, Mom. I'll help clean up."

"No, no, no. We can take care of everything. You go on." Nancy turned to Sue. "And you go with him."

"Are you sure?" Sue asked. "I'm happy to help!"

"Go now, before she changes her mind!" Ron said to Sean. Nancy playfully pushed him. Sean took Sue by the hand and led her into the house. They settled on the couch in the living room.

"Now this is more like it! I finally get some alone time with my favorite lady!" Sean announced, as he hugged Sue to his side.

Sue giggled. "We have had an audience all night. Although," she stroked Sean's cheek, "sometimes I forgot all about them."

"Hmmm. I wonder what made you forget?" Sean teased. They kissed for several long moments. Then Sue snuggled against his chest. "I could get used to this," Sean said.

"Me, too," Sue sighed. They sat quietly for a while, simply enjoying being together. After several minutes, Sean fell asleep. When her family and Nancy entered the room, Sue quickly hushed them.

"Poor thing!" Nancy said quietly. "It was all bound to catch up with him at some point."

Frankie nodded. "Sue," she whispered. "We're ready to go home now."

Sue started to stand. Sean roused slightly. He tightened his grip on Sue and murmured, "No, don't go." Then he fell back asleep. All of the women made "Awwww!" faces. Mike rubbed his forehead. Brick was reading a book.

"It's okay. Sue can stay here tonight," Nancy said. "I'll tell Shelly to sleep in Dotty's room. Sue, if you can ever get up," she rolled her eyes while Frankie smirked, "you can stay in Shelly's room." Sue nodded; she didn't tell them that she had no intention of leaving Sean's side.

Sue's family went home. Ron and the girls stopped by the living room to say good night. Nancy draped a blanket over Sue and Sean and turned off the light as she left. Sue snuggled against Sean's chest. As uncomfortable as it might be to sleep upright on a sofa, she knew that this would be the best night's sleep she'd ever had.


	11. Chapter 8, Part 1

**Note:** I do not own _The Middle._ No copyright infringement intended.

 **Note:** The events of this day will take place over multiple Parts, which will be posted over the next couple of weeks. Also, if you're interested in leviosa-rain's French translation of this story, use my "Reviews" page to find her user name; follow the links to access the translation.

The next morning, Sean's waking thought was, "My first night home, and I spent it on a couch?" But as his mind cleared, memories of the night before came flooding back. "Sue!" he breathed, as he realized he had fallen asleep while holding her. But she was no longer beside him. He jumped up, anxiously scanning the room for some sign that she hadn't left.

"She's still here," Ron said. Sean turned to the doorway, where his father now stood. "She tried to leave last night, but you latched on to her and wouldn't let go! You were still snuggled up together when your mom and I got up this morning."

Sean groaned. "I must have crashed right after we came in here last night. I wanted some alone time with Sue, but I thought I'd be awake for it!"

"She went to freshen up." Ron paused for a moment. "Before she gets back, I think we should talk." He gestured for Sean to sit down, then sat beside him. "All of us – your mom, your sisters, me – we all love Sue. And spending time with her this summer…in a way, it was like we were spending time with you." He laughed. "Don't get me wrong. There were several occasions when I went over to watch a game with Mike, just to get away from all the noise!" He and Sean exchanged a smile. Then he sobered, "We're all happy that the two of you are a couple. Your mother, perhaps, to an unhealthy degree! But I am a bit concerned…"

"Is this about Grandmother? I know she didn't like the PDA last night. But Sue and I have waited so long to be together…"

"Sort of." Ron rubbed his jaw, then said carefully, "Sean, your relationship with Sue is…unusual. The two of you are starting out with a level of…intimacy…that it takes most couples a long time to reach."

"Um, Dad? Is this going to be the birds and the bees talk? Because we had that a few years ago. Also, I'm in medical school!"

Ron gave Sean a pointed look. "She's going to be back any minute now. Let me get through this." Sean nodded. "In some ways, you and Sue are a lot alike. You're two of the happiest, most caring, most enthusiastic people I've ever met. And both of you: when you're in, you are **all** in! I know you want to make up for lost time, by cramming as much as possible into these next few days. But maybe you should slow things down a bit."

"Slow things down? Dad, I waited on her for over a year! And we've spent the last 3 months apart! I'm not sure we can take it any slower!"

"Look, all I'm saying is, you're in a honeymoon phase right now. But things are going to change in a hurry once classes start in a couple weeks. Med school, Sue's senior year, work: those have to be your top priorities. It's not going to be easy to juggle all those responsibilities with having a relationship. And if you've moved too far too fast before then, it may be even harder to adjust."

Sean was exasperated. "Dad, we haven't even had 24 hours in the same town since we've been a couple! Don't we deserve some time to enjoy being together?!"

"Of course! But for now, you need to take things at a pace you're both comfortable with."

"And you think that means slow."

"I think it's whatever will help you two maintain this relationship long term. And if it'll make your mother happy but won't scandalize your grandmother, even better!"

"Dad, we've already talked about…" He stopped as he heard footsteps approaching. Sue appeared in the doorway. She was fresh out of the shower, with wet hair and – Sean quickly noted – different clothes than she'd worn the night before.

"Sean! You're awake!" Sue's face lit with joy as she hurried over to him.

"I'm going to go check on breakfast," Ron excused himself and left the room.

"Hi!" Sue took one of Sean's hands in both of hers.

Still thinking about his conversation with his dad, he responded quietly, "Hi." Then, "You changed?"

"What? Oh, yeah." Sue shrugged. "I've had a few movie nights with your sisters that turned into slumber parties. I ended up just leaving some of my clothes and stuff here. I have a drawer in Shelly's room. And," she raised an eyebrow, "I even have my own toothbrush!"

"You have a drawer and a toothbrush at my house?"

Sue bit her lip. She could tell from his tone and demeanor that something was off. _"So,"_ she thought, _"I guess this is when the nerves kick in."_ She dropped his hand and stepped back. She twirled a strand of hair as she attempted to joke, "You know, Sean, this is the second time we've spent the night together. Do you think we'll ever upgrade from camping out on a sofa?" When he didn't respond immediately, she flushed with embarrassment. _"Yup. Definitely nerves."_ Out loud, she said, "Um, I mean…"

Sean shook his head, then reached for her hand. He squeezed it briefly, then let go. "I should…" He gestured to the doorway. "I could really use a shower. And **my** own toothbrush!" He started to move past her, but Sue grabbed his hand.

"I don't mind." Sue looked up at him, her expression anxious.

He stroked her cheek with his other hand, then laughed uncertainly. "I'm not kidding about needing a toothbrush!"

"I'm not kidding about not minding!" Sue retorted.

Sean looked at her, thinking about his father's words, about maintaining this relationship long term. And he knew without a doubt how he wanted that "long term" to start. Sue saw his expression brighten, and her own smile returned as he leaned in. They kissed – really kissed – and probably would have continued for a while, if Nancy hadn't interrupted.

"Ahem!" When they finally looked at her, Nancy chirped, "Good morning, Sean! We're so happy to have you home again! Sue, why don't you go help the girls set the table. Breakfast is ready!"

Sue and Sean exchanged a smile, before she pulled away from him. As she left the room, she heard Nancy hiss at him, "Have you even brushed your teeth yet? I raised you to have manners!" Sue covered her mouth to muffle her laughter as she turned back to look at Sean. He grinned as their eyes met.

After breakfast, Sue accompanied the Donahues to church. She was proud when Sean introduced her to everyone as his girlfriend, and even prouder when he spoke during the service about his experiences in Ghana. Afterwards, they stayed for a while so Sean could mingle. Just like at the party the night before, even when he was talking to others, he kept Sue anchored to his side by holding her hand or wrapping an arm around her. Then they had lunch with Sean's family. While the food and the company were excellent, Sue couldn't help but notice the occasional flair of tension between Sean and his dad. It had been the same at breakfast. She wondered if the tension had anything to do with Sean's distant behavior after she'd walked in on the conversation between him and Ron. When the meal ended, Sue hurried home to change into shorts and a t-shirt. Her worries about Sean and his dad combined with first date jitters, so by the time she dropped her overnight bag in the living room, she was a bundle of nerves. She was so startled when Sean knocked on the door that she bumped into a chair and almost lost her balance. She quickly righted herself and pasted on a bright smile before opening the door.

"Hi again!"

"Hi! Are you ready for our first date?"

"Sure!" Sue frowned. "Does it really count as a first date when we've spent the last 18 hours together?"

"Uh, absolutely it does!" Sean raised an eyebrow. "This is a moment a lifetime in the making! We are not downplaying it!"

Sue nodded and stepped back so Sean could enter. He exchanged a handshake with Mike and a hug with Frankie. When Brick entered the room, Sean confirmed their plans to watch a movie together on Tuesday. Sue blinked with surprise over that news.

When they were finally settling into Sean's car, Sean laughed, "I can't believe how many people at church called you 'Ana Hajarajanan'!"

"Yeah," she said absently. She turned to look out the window, debating whether she should ask Sean about the tension from earlier.

"Hey!" Sean gently cupped her chin and turned her to face him. "What's going on?"

She bit her lip before responding, "Sean, if I ask you something, will you be honest with me?"

"Always!"

"Is everything okay? You seemed…off… this morning. I just…I…" She squeezed her eyes shut before blurting out, "Have you changed your mind? About me, I mean?"

Sean put his hands on her cheeks and said urgently, "Sue, look at me. Open your eyes and look at me." Sue slowly opened one eye and then the other. She blinked rapidly at the love and concern in his expression. "Sue, I love you. More than I ever thought was possible. Don't ever doubt that."

"But you and your dad…"

"Yeah," he dropped his hands and looked away for a moment. Turning back to her, he continued, "Before you came in the room, he was telling me that he's worried we might take things too fast. "

"Too fast? But we've been waiting for this day for…" She paused for a moment, as realization dawned. "Oh, you mean spending the night together on the sofa and me having a drawer and a toothbrush at your house too fast. Okay. I guess I can see that on a surface-level those things seem fast. But it's not like they happened because we're living together or, you know…" She blushed.

"Yeah," Sean shrugged. "I don't think he's right, but I see his point." He took Sue's hands in his. "We keep talking about how we have a lot of time to make up for. And we do!" He squeezed her hands. "But you're it for me, Sue." She smiled and nodded. "We don't need to rush into things right now. Not when we're going to have a lifetime together." Her breath caught and a tear rolled down her cheek. He wiped it away before continuing, "So, I'm going to need **you** to be honest with **me** always. If you think I'm pushing you too fast, or if I get swamped with school or whatever and I'm not there for you like you need, I want you tell me. All of this…it has to be at your pace, what makes you happy, okay?"

"You, too! You have to be happy, too! So you'll have to tell me if I'm pushing you too fast?"

Sean grinned and winked at her. "Sure! That'll happen!" Sue smiled and leaned forward to kiss him.

Meanwhile, Mike and Frankie were peering out the window at the couple in the car in their driveway. "Think they'd notice if I turned the water hose on them?" Mike asked.

Frankie lightly smacked him. "C'mon! Let them enjoy this time together!"

"Fine," he sighed. "I guess I can wait it out. They'll start acting like an old married couple before too long."

Frankie was struck by his words. "Do you think that? That they'll get married some day?"

Mike paused for a moment, then responded, "Yeah. Yeah, I kinda think they will." He shrugged. "As long as they wait 25 years, I expect I'll be okay with it."

Frankie rolled her eyes, "If they wait 25 years, you might not get any grandkids."

"Okay. 20 years."

Frankie shook her head and smiled.


	12. Chapter 8, Part 2

**Note:** I do not own _The Middle._ No copyright infringement intended.

After they got to the zoo, Sean didn't say a word; he simply held out his hand. Sue linked her fingers with his. "Still worried about me getting lost, huh?" she teased.

"Nope." He tilted his head close to hers. "I just like to hold your hand." Sue gave him a big smile, and they walked hand-in-hand to the entrance.

While they waited to buy tickets, Sue kept up a steady stream of enthusiastic chatter. "I am so excited! I think the last time I was here was junior high. Or maybe high school? It sure wasn't as memorable as being here with you!" He smiled and hugged her. Sue continued, "There's a new baby tamarin! Shelly is obsessed: she's been checking the web site daily for new pictures. I thought about bringing her and Dotty here, but," Sue shook her head, "it just didn't seem right to come without you."

"We can bring them with us next time."

"That would be awesome!" She said wistfully, "I wish Axl was as nice to me as you are to your sisters!"

"My parents would kill me if I treated my sisters the way Axl usually treats you," he stated. "But he has his moments." With a sly smile, "I was glad you were having fun with him at the chancellor's ball!"

"Oh, yes! We had a great time! Wait…" she looked at him suspiciously. "Are you glad because we had fun, or because I was with him and not a date?" Sean grinned and shrugged. She pointed at him. "You, mister, have a mischievous side. I like it!"

Once they were inside, Sean asked, "Where to first?"

"How about the Africa pavilion? You can tell me if there are any animals you saw in Ghana."

They started towards Africa, but Sue quickly stopped in her tracks. "Look!" she breathed, as she stared at a sign announcing the new kangaroo encounter.

Sean smiled at Sue's captivated expression. "How about we go there first?" Sue, eyes wide, looked at him and nodded. They made their way over to the exhibit and walked down the path amongst the kangaroos. While Sue was entranced by the kangaroos playing around them, Sean took a few pictures of the animals and many pictures of her. When one of the kangaroos sprawled out on the path in front of them, Sue clamped a hand over her mouth to stifle her squeal of pure joy, then knelt down and began to softly pet the animal. Sean took a few more photos of Sue and the kangaroo, before kneeling down next to Sue and taking some selfies of the three of them.

After they left the exhibit, Sue spun in a circle before throwing her arms around Sean. "Wasn't that the most amazing thing ever?!" Sean smiled down at her and stroked her hair.

They eventually made their way over to the Africa pavilion, but not before they were distracted by other activities, including a petting zoo (where Sue bottle-fed a lamb, and a rambunctious goat stole a map from Sean before lunging at Sue – or at least that's the excuse Sean gave for pulling her into a tight hug) and a chair lift (where they held onto each other and not the handrail.) As they toured Africa, they noticed the sky had darkened ominously.

Sue sighed, "Well, of course it's going to rain on our outdoor date!"

Sean said optimistically, "Maybe it'll hold off." When Sue gave him a skeptical look, he remarked, "But let's head to the primate house, just in case. It's got covered viewing areas."

They were approaching the building when the rain started. Sean put a hand on Sue's back, intending to hurry her along. Instead, Sue turned and pulled him into a long, thorough kiss. When it ended, they were both dripping with rain, breathing heavily, and smiling happily. Holding hands, they dashed over to the primate house. They wended their way past visitors who clustered near the entrance. They settled on a bench near the final exhibit, where they had relative privacy. Sue tried to wring water out of her hair, while Sean wiped droplets from her face. He paused with his hands on her cheeks. "What was that about, back there?"

"What, the kiss?" Sue smiled playfully. "Didn't you like it?"

"You know I did! But..."

Sue wrapped her hands around his wrists. "Well, we'd already kissed in the snow. I thought we should kiss in the rain, too." Sean grinned. He touched his forehead to hers before giving her a soft kiss. He tucked her against his side, and they sat quietly, watching as more people filtered into their area. Sue pulled slightly away and said, "Sean…about Christmas Eve…"

"You mean the best Christmas Eve of my life?"

"Mine, too! But I wondered…if it meant so much to you, why did you apologize afterwards? And why did you just…disappear?"

Sean sighed and rubbed her back. "I was afraid I had blown it. I'd been trying for months to tell you I liked you. I was overthinking everything! But that night, I acted on instinct, and it…was amazing! But immediately afterwards, I started overthinking again. I was worried that you didn't feel about it – about me – the way I felt." He shrugged. "I thought maybe you had only kissed me back to be polite."

Sue's jaw dropped. "That's what I thought, too! That you had only kissed me back to be polite!" They looked at each other and laughed, shaking their heads. "The New Year's Eve party…I had my mom throw that for you." Seeing Sean's confusion, Sue explained, "Brad and I came up with the idea. We thought if you kissed me again on New Year's, it would prove you did like me."

"I was going to! But then," he sneered, "Aidan." He paused. "Wait, if that party was for me then why…"

"I didn't invite him!" Sue interjected. "We had only gone on a few dates, and I hadn't seen him in weeks. But then he texted me out of the blue to say he had to work on New Year's, and I told him I'd be with my family. I had no idea he'd show up!"

"And kiss you at midnight." Sean grimaced. "Donahues don't hate people. But I have a very strong dislike for that guy."

Sue patted his chest. "It doesn't matter now. He and I broke up months ago, the morning after my birthday in fact." Sean looked surprised. "Yeah. He showed up not long after you left, and I ended it. Waking up to you that morning, even though it was platonic, even though I was hung over, it was the best birthday present I ever had. I knew I couldn't keep seeing him, not when I was in love with you."

Sean gently stroked her hair back from her face. He started to speak, but the moment was interrupted by an excited kid nearby shouting, "Look, Mom! It looks like the monkey in _The Lion King_!" Sue and Sean turned, and saw that a mandrill had emerged from a shelter in the exhibit. It stood in the rain for a moment before disappearing back under the shelter. The kid called out, "What's its name?"

When the kid's mom didn't answer, Sue leaned forward and said, "That 'monkey' is actually a mandrill. And the character from _The Lion King_ is named Rafiki. Maybe we can call this mandrill 'Rafiki', too?"

Sean wasn't quite sure how it happened, but Sue's conversation with several children and their parents about _The Lion King_ evolved into a group-sing of "The Circle of Life" and "Hakuna Matata." While Sue led the crowd in a song-and-dance rendition of "I Just Can't Wait to Be King," he was so thoroughly entertained that he stopped singing along and used his phone to film it. He caught another glimpse of the mandrill, and wondered if it was enjoying the show, too. By the time that song ended, the rain had almost stopped. Several of the families left, after the kids bestowed hugs on their new best friend Sue. Sean smiled while he watched. His phone chimed, alerting him to a new text.

 **Nancy:** _I heard it's been raining there. And on your first date! I am so sorry. Hope you're still having fun!_

Sean quickly responded, attaching a copy of the "I Just Can't Wait to Be King" video.

 **Sean:** _Most fun I've ever had! Cannot love her more!_

Sue sat back down beside him. They waited patiently while more visitors filed past them towards the exit. Finally, Sue spoke. "You never told me…if you had picked our first date, what would it have been?"

"Honestly, I couldn't make up my mind. Should it be traditional, or should it be fun? I'm happy you picked fun! But…there is a date I really want us to have." He squeezed her hand. "You owe me a dance!"

"Well, my next formal isn't for months! I'm glad we didn't wait for our first date until then!"

"Hopefully we'll get to dance together sooner than that." He nodded towards the departing families. "And without a pack of kids joining in!"

They made their way out of the exhibit. Although the rain had stopped, the sky was still dark. "I think it'll rain again," Sean said. When Sue didn't answer, he looked over and realized she was checking her phone. "Sue?"

"What? Oh, sorry. I just got a text from Brooke. I need to call her right away. Do you mind?"

"No, it's fine. There's a gift shop up ahead. While you make your call, I'll go in the shop and see if I can find something with a tamarin for Shelly."

"Aww! You really are the best big brother!" Sue stood on her tiptoes and kissed Sean on the cheek. When he disappeared inside the shop, she moved several yards away and made her call. When Sean emerged with shopping bag in hand, she was still on the phone. He waited patiently, watching from a distance as she talked animatedly.

When she finally rejoined him, Sean asked "Everything okay?"

Sue sighed. "I need to go by the inn. There's something that can't wait until tomorrow."

"Really?" Sean was disappointed. "How long will it take?"

"Not long, but I was thinking…did you have anything planned for supper? Because we could have supper at the inn's restaurant. Our head chef doesn't work on Sunday nights, so it's a limited menu, but the food is really good, and you'll get to meet some of my co-workers – they've all been dying to meet you! – and this way our date doesn't have to end so soon, because I really, really, really don't want it to send so soon…"

"Sue! Sue! Take a breath!" Sean laughed. "Yes, I think that's a great idea!" He frowned. "But what about your car? It's still in Orson. Do we need to go pick it up first?"

"Oh, no! It's fine. I just called my parents and told them I might need them to bring my car and my overnight bag to Gumford. They said it was fine. I just need to text them to confirm."

"You were pretty sure I was going to agree to this plan, huh?"

Sue shrugged. "Well, you let me pick the activity. I figured you'd let me pick the restaurant too! Let me text my mom right quick." After dashing off a message, she asked, "Did you find a tamarin for Shelly?"

"Sure did! I also got something for Dotty. And…" He showed her a stuffed kangaroo. "This one's for you!" Sue clapped her hands and then hugged him.

"I love it! And…" she gave him a quick kiss, "I love you, too!"

He pulled her close and would have kissed her again, but rain started to fall. They held hands and hurried for the exit.


	13. Chapter 8, Part 3

**Note:** I do not own _The Middle._ No copyright infringement intended.

 **Note:** I am stoked about the news that there's a pilot order for the Sue spin-off! Hopefully that gets ordered to series, and the Sue canon can resume.

 **Note:** This story is winding down. If there are pieces of Sue and Sean's backstory that I haven't addressed that you'd like to see included, please let me know in the reviews.

As they were driving to Gumford, Sue received and sent multiple texts. Sean tried not to get annoyed; he'd wanted her undivided attention on their first date, but he was happy that she'd found a job that she loved. Besides, he thought, once he was a doctor, Sue would be dealing with his distraction whenever he was on call.

After receiving one text, she muttered "Yes!" under her breath and flashed a bright smile.

"What is it?" he asked.

"What?" Her smiled dropped. "Oh! It was just, you know, good news. About the inn. About, um, profits from this weekend. And reviews. Positive reviews. Even with the A/C disaster yesterday, guests still said they'd stay with us again." She shook her head. "But I'm being rude. I should be focusing on you, not work." She tucked her phone away.

"So, what's the best way to get to the inn from here?"

"Actually, if you wouldn't mind, I want to go to my apartment first. I'd like to change into something less…damp."

"It's fine with me, but do we have time?"

"Oh, it's okay. Brooke is working late. She said for us to get there when we can."

"Well, in that case, I'd like to make a couple stops, too." Sue raised an inquisitive eyebrow. "Hey, you're not the only one who got rained on! I left some of my clothes and stuff at a friend's house back in May; I didn't see the point in moving everything to Orson when I wasn't going to be in Orson."

"Makes sense." Sue thought about it for a moment. "By any chance, did you leave that red shirt there? You know, the one you wore on New Year's Eve." She sighed. "I really like that shirt."

"Yeah, I think it's there. But I'm not sure I want to wear it! It's been bad luck twice." Seeing Sue's confusion, he explained, "I was also wearing it when I asked you to the chancellor's ball."

"No way!" Sue laughed. "Then you **have** to wear it tonight! We need to change its luck!"

Sean located the red shirt, along with appropriate pants and shoes, at his friend's house. Afterwards, he stopped off at a shopping center. He turned to Sue. "I'll just be a few minutes. You're not allowed to watch where I'm going!"

"Yes, sir!" she saluted, then made a show of covering her eyes. He kissed her hands, then jumped out of the car. When he returned, Sue was busy sending texts. She dropped her phone when she saw that he was carrying a bouquet of roses. "Oh, Sean!" she breathed, as she took the flowers.

"I'm sorry they're late. I'd hoped to pick them up earlier, before I saw you, but – as you know – our schedule this weekend got thrown a little off!"

"Our timing is always a little off. But I love them!" She clutched the flowers to her chest, breathing in their aroma.

When they arrived at Sue's apartment, Sue found a vase and arranged the roses, then took the stuffed kangaroo to her bedroom. When she returned, she found Sean intently surveying the room.

"Sean?" She laughed. "I don't think it's changed that much since the last time you were here."

He grinned. "Yeah. Yeah, it has." He walked over and wrapped his arms around her. "I've spent a lot of time here over the last year and a half. And every one of those times, I wanted to do this." He leaned down to kiss her, a kiss that turned passionate quickly. When it ended, they held each other for several long moments.

As Sue's mind cleared, Sean's words finally registered. "Wait, 'every' one of those times? Because I seem to recall that the first time you were here, you went out with Lexie!"

Sean grimaced. "About that…" He took her hand and led her over to sofa. They sat facing each other, still holding hands. "A funny thing happened that night." He smiled. "I realized I was in love with you. Right in the middle of my date with Lexie." He shook his head. "How's that for timing?"

"But that's what happened to me! I realized I had feelings for you while I was out with someone else!" She laughed. "I guess we've always been in sync, even when we were out of sync!"

"Pretty much!" he agreed. "Lexie is great, really, but…she's a lot like other girls I've dated. That night, I remember thinking, 'Why am I bothering?' None of those other relationships worked out, and I…I just knew that dating Lexie wouldn't either. Afterwards, I told Axl that I'd be too busy with med school to be in a relationship at all. But the truth is," he smiled, "I was sitting there, listening to Lexie talk about how you two first met, and I had this sudden realization: I **could** be in med school and still have a relationship. But it would have to be with someone so special that I would do anything for her: re-schedule exams, miss out on a flag football championship or a fraternity photo, drive 6 hours just to be there for her special day…someone so special that I would love her, with my whole heart. And I knew in that instant who that person was."

"Me!" Sue smiled.

"You!" he agreed, squeezing her hands. "When Lexie and I walked back here that night, she asked if I wanted to come in, to say 'good night' to you." He shook his head. "I wanted to. I wanted to come in here and sweep you off your feet. But I…didn't know what to say to you, to make you understand how much you meant to me." He laughed. "I'm not sure **I** even understood it then. I needed time to think. So I spent the next couple of weeks thinking, and I made two decisions. The first was to ask you to the chancellor's ball, and the second was to attend St. Matthew's."

"Wait! Are you saying that you came to St. Matthew's…"

"To be close to you? Yes." He grinned. "But don't tell my mom; she thinks I did it for her!"

Sue sighed regretfully. "Oh, Sean. I'm so happy we're together now, but it hurts to think about all the time and opportunities we missed out on."

He put his hand on her cheek. "The night of your birthday, we were sitting exactly where we are now. After you fell asleep," he stroked her hair, "I brushed your hair out of your face, and I wondered if you were worth waiting for.'" He cupped her cheeks in his hands. "I know now. You are. Without a doubt." Their lips met. As the minutes passed, Sue reclined back into the pillows, with Sean leaning over her. Eventually, Sean pulled slightly away. "Sue?" he asked, as she continued to press kisses onto his cheeks and jaw. "You know how we talked earlier about pace? This is one of those times I really need you to be clear about it."

"I'm really, really good with this!" she said, before pulling him into another kiss. However, the moment was interrupted when's Sue's phone chimed. "Oh, no, I have to get that!" As they untangled themselves, Sue would've fallen to the floor if Sean hadn't helped steady her. "Sorry! I'm a little wobbly…for some reason!"

After reading the latest text, Sue bounced up and down excitedly while crying out, "Yes! Yes! Yes!" She looked at Sean. "That was Marsha, the head chef. Tonight's her night off, but apparently she went by to do inventory and when she heard you and I were coming," Sue clapped her hands in excitement, "she decided to stay, just to cook for us!"

"Wow! That's really nice of her!"

"Yes, but now we have to get ready!" Suddenly Sue was in hyperdrive mode. "I'll change in the bathroom, so you can use my room. Just give me a minute to get my stuff, okay?" She hurried off.

"Timing!" Sean muttered, shaking his head.

A couple minutes later, Sue called for Sean. When he entered her room, one of the first things he noticed was his scarf – the one he'd left with her on her birthday - draped over a chair. "That looks familiar!" he said, pointing at it.

Sue giggled. "It's mine now! You're never getting it back!"

"That's okay," he shrugged. "It looks better on you anyway!" Sue kissed him on the cheek before hurrying off to the bathroom.

Although Sean had been in Sue's room briefly on a few occasions, he hadn't noticed much other than bright colors and inspirational posters, similar to her room in Orson. This time, he looked around more closely, smiling as he spotted multiple photos of him – of them – scattered around. He also saw that much of her wall mirror was covered by taped-up pieces of paper. He assumed that they'd be inspirational quotes; it wasn't until he stepped close that he realized what they really were: copies of texts and emails he'd sent her. Every time he'd written that he'd loved her, or talked about how much she meant to him, was posted on the mirror so she could see it whenever she looked at her reflection. He smiled tenderly as he realized he'd become the source of inspiration that she carried with her daily.

Sue called out, "I just need a few more minutes!"

Sean rushed to change clothes, putting his previous outfit into a duffel bag Sue had found for him. He was waiting in the living room when Sue emerged. She'd freshened her make-up, pulled her hair back into an up-do, and was wearing a beautiful sundress with a floral pattern that included the same red as his shirt. "Sue!" he breathed. "You look gorgeous!"

She smiled shyly. "I bought this to wear to the airport. I know, I know, it's too fancy for the airport, but I really wanted to look nice the first time I saw you." She shrugged, "And since I didn't get to wear it then, I thought I'd wear it now."

"I'm glad you did!" He looked her up and down admiringly, then took her hand and smiled. "Now I see why you wanted me to wear this shirt. We match!" Sue giggled. They used their phones to snap several photos of them together. While Sean texted one of the pictures to his mother, Sue messaged Brooke to let her know they were on their way.

"Are you ready?" Sean asked.

"Absolutely!" Sue agreed, taking his hand as they walked out the door.


	14. Chapter 8, Part 4

**Note:** I do not own _The Middle._ No copyright infringement intended.

 **Note:** This is how I'd hoped Sue & Sean would get together during the show. Since it didn't happen there, it's happening here! Thanks to everyone who's read along so far! I hope you've enjoyed it. There may be one more chapter after this. If you have any ideas you'd like to see included, let me know in a review.

"Is it usually this busy on a Sunday night?" Sean asked, as they drove into the inn's crowded employee parking lot.

"Um, no." Sue looked confused, but quickly recovered. "I guess Brooke called everyone in."

"If she has this much help, maybe we'll be out of here pretty quickly," he said hopefully.

"We're staying for supper, too, remember?"

"I remember. But maybe we'll still have time…" He paused as he spotted a familiar car in the lot. "Hey, isn't that your car?"

"Yes! I told my parents we were having supper at the restaurant, so they said they'd leave my car here." She smirked, "I'd promised to bring them one of Marsha's cakes as a thank you; I think my mom wanted to go ahead and collect!" They both laughed.

Sue and Sean walked hand-in-hand into the lobby, where they were met by some of Sue's co-workers. Then came more people who popped by to greet them, then disappeared. Sean noticed that many of them seemed to be a bit…loud. And giggly. And a few made comments that he didn't quite understand. But he didn't have much time to think about it, since he kept being introduced to new people.

Then Brooke appeared. "Sue! Hello! This must be Sean!" She shook Sean's hand. "It's wonderful to finally meet you!"

"You, too. Sue has told me a lot about you."

"And we've heard lots about you! I'm so sorry for this…interruption in your date. Hopefully we'll have you two back on track in no time!"

"Speaking of which, is everything ready?" Sue quickly added, "For the work I need to do, I mean."

"Not yet. Why don't you show Sean around? I'll find you when we're ready." Brooke started to walk off, then turned back. "Oh, just remember. There are some areas that we're still working on."

Sue gave Sean an abbreviated tour. As they approached the restaurant, he asked, "Should I get us a table?"

"Oh, no! That's not necessary!"

Brooke appeared in the hallway, past the restaurant. "Sue! We're ready for you now. Sean, why don't you go wait in the lobby." She smiled reassuringly at him. "This won't take long." Sue kissed him on the cheek before hurrying after Brooke.

"Okay, then," Sean said. He walked back to the lobby. _"That was…strange,"_ he thought. Then the night got even stranger. An elderly man, wearing dirt-streaked clothes and carrying a basket, appeared in front of him.

"You there. Come with me."

"Excuse me, sir?"

"Come. With. Me," the man enunciated.

The desk clerk, Jack, hurried over. "Ray, are you taking Sean out to the greenhouse?" When Ray nodded, Jack continued, "Don't cut through the back garden. We're still working on it, remember?"

"I know how to get to the greenhouse," Ray snapped. He motioned to Sean, "C'mon."

"Okaaaaay," Sean agreed. He looked to Jack, "Please tell Sue…" Jack nodded, so Sean followed Ray out the front door.

They seemed to be taking a circuitous route to the greenhouse. Sean tried to make conversation, but Ray mostly answered with grunts. When they finally entered the greenhouse, Ray shoved the basket into Sean's arms before picking up a pair of garden shears. Motioning for Sean to follow him, he quickly started snipping off flowers and handing them to Sean. "Red and pink. She'll like them."

"Wait…these flowers are for Sue? That's so nice!" Sean exclaimed.

"Who else would they be for?" Ray looked Sean up and down. "You can't take a lady on a date and not give her flowers."

"Oh, I did give her flowers earlier. A bouquet of roses."

Ray glared at him. "You were gone for 3 months. You think one bouquet is enough?"

"Uh, no sir." Sean smiled. "I see your point." Ray resumed cutting flowers. Sean noticed some beautiful flowers in yellow and white and moved towards them. "How about some of these?"

"Red and pink for dates," Ray responded. "Not white and yellow."

"I know. But I call Sue my 'special snowflake' and 'walking sunshine', so…"

Ray paused and looked at him. "'Walking sunshine,' huh?" He nodded. "Sounds about right." He walked over and snipped the flowers Sean pointed out. Once the basket was overflowing, Ray said, "The greenhouse flowers are only for special occasions. And special people."

"And Sue is very, very special!" Sean responded. Ray shrugged, then led Sean outside.

They took an even slower route back to the lobby. When they finally arrived, Sue was waiting. "There you are! Did you enjoy…" her voice trailed off as she saw the basket of flowers. "Are these for me?" She looked at Ray. "Greenhouse flowers? For me?" When Ray nodded, she threw her arms around him. "Thank you so much!" He patted her awkwardly on the back. Sue finally pulled away, then took the basket of flowers and admired them more closely.

Jack walked over. "I can take these and get them bundled up. Brooke says that everything is set."

"Oh, right!" Sue grinned. She handed him the flowers, then turned to Sean. "Are you ready?"

"Just a minute," he responded. He turned to Ray and shook his hand. "Thank you, sir!"

"Go on, now," Ray replied, with the faintest hint of a smile.

Sue took Sean's hand and led him toward the restaurant, then past it. Sean pulled her to a stop. "Wait? Aren't we going in here?" He motioned toward the restaurant's entrance.

"Nope! Follow me!" She walked further, pausing outside a set of double doors at the end of the hallway. Sue moved in front of him, blocking the doorway. "Um, Sean. I have to confess something." She took a deep breath. "I've been lying to you. All evening."

"What are you talking about?" Sean asked, stunned.

"Well, you know at the zoo, when I said Brooke had insisted that I come into work tonight?" He nodded. "That wasn't true. I was the one who contacted her, asking for a favor. And all of that texting I was doing….that wasn't about work, either. It was about this." She pushed open the doors to the room and stepped inside. He followed behind her, and quickly caught his breath.

The room had a wall of windows that looked out over the back garden. It was used for small events and typically contained numerous tables and chairs. That night, it had been transformed. All of the furniture had been removed, except for two chairs and a table that had been set for a romantic dinner for two, including candles and flowers. White Christmas lights stretched across the ceiling. LED candles sat in the window frames, all of which were draped with garlands. A fully trimmed Christmas tree sat in one corner. It had chains of paper snowflakes wrapped around it. Sean stood silently, taking it all in.

"I hope you're not mad. About me lying, I mean. I got the idea for this after you said you wanted us to dance. We were going to leave the zoo anyway to get supper, so I thought, 'Why not here, where we can have our own private dance floor?'" She twirled around in the middle of the cleared floor. When Sean didn't comment, she grew anxious. "You don't think it's too cheesy, do you? I wanted us to have a chance to get Christmas right." She paused for a moment, waiting on a response. "Um, Sean? What are you thinking?"

He cleared his throat. "I'm thinking…that I'm the luckiest guy in the world." Sue barely had a chance to smile before he reached her. He lifted her off her feet and kissed her deeply. When that kiss ended, he let her slide back down to her feet before he pressed several shorter kisses to her lips. Finally he pulled back and shook his head. "What did I ever do to deserve you?"

Sue gripped his arms. "Sean, you deserve this. You deserve so much!" She smiled. "You have done so much for me. And I don't just mean missing your flight to Ghana so you could tell me you loved me, or even scaring off that squatter professor, even though those things were amazing!" She sighed. "My entire life…I've felt invisible. But you," she touched his cheek, "you've always seen me. You've always been there for me, ever since we were kids and you used to return my toys when Axl hid them from me. And when you'd drop me off for babysitting jobs, and you'd always say, 'It's on my way,' even though it was never on your way! And then, of course, there were my proms." She shook her head. "After the way I handled that first one, I can't believe you showed up the second time!"

"I'd do anything for you, Suzy Q. You know that." He kissed her forehead.

"And I would do anything for you. I love you. And if you want to dance, then we're going to dance!"

He laughed. "I think we need some music first!" On cue, soft music started to play. Startled, Sean glanced around. That's when he realized that the doorway was now crowded, with Brooke and several of Sue's co-workers, Frankie and Mike, and his family. "What?!"

Sue motioned to their audience. "They arranged all of this for us!"

Sean thanked each helper with a handshake or hug. He was regaled with anecdotes about the prep work, from his sisters making the snowflake chains to all the efforts to stall for time. Eventually everyone but Brooke left them, although Frankie and Nancy took several pictures before they departed.

"I've already told your dads that I want them to come back and help decorate at Christmas. They hung many of the decorations without a ladder!" Brooke smiled. Then she glanced warily at Sean.

"It's okay! I told him you didn't actually ask me to come into work tonight," Sue said.

"Oh, good!" She turned to Sean. "I would not have interrupted you today! Everyone who works here knew how important this date was. In fact, most everyone you've met tonight volunteered to come help surprise you and Sue!"

"It was a surprise!" Sue turned to Sean. "I knew our families would be here, but I wasn't expecting most of the others."

"Well, Sue, you wanted to surprise Sean because of everything he's done for you. And your co-workers wanted to surprise you because of everything you've done for them. You're always willing to help with any assignment, or to cheer anyone up when they're having a bad day." Brooke said to Sean, "Did she tell you it was her idea yesterday to have the water balloons and super soakers?" Sean shook his head. "Our guests loved it! Several said they wanted us to do it again during spring move-out weekend!" Brooke handed Sue a remote to control the sound system, then said more formally, "Please take your seats. Your server will be with you shortly."

As they sat across from each other at the table, Sue asked, "So, what do you really think about all this?"

Sean said thoughtfully. "It's pretty much perfect. There is one thing I'd fix, though."

Sue looked around anxiously. "What is it? What's wrong?"

Sean stood. He moved his place setting and his chair to Sue's side. He sat back down, draped his arm over the back of her chair and leaned in for a kiss. "Now it's perfect!" Sue giggled.

After their server took their orders, Sean pulled Sue from her chair and onto their dance floor. "Don't you want to wait until after we eat?" Sue teased.

"Nope!" Sean pulled her close and they swayed in time to the music. "You know, you promised me months ago you would tell me what happened with the snow globe."

"Oh, right! Well it started that spring, when I threw some trash in the hallway bin. Suddenly, I heard music playing. It's like it was calling for me!"

As Sue continued with her story, Brooke stood in the doorway filming them. Ray appeared at her side, giving her a disapproving look. "Hey," Brooke whispered, "I promised their moms!" Ray didn't look impressed. Brooke sighed and ended the video. "I was about to stop filming, anyway. They deserve some privacy." She turned and headed to the kitchen. Ray smiled at the dancing couple, then followed Brooke. Sue and Sean continued to dance and talk, oblivious to everything else.


	15. Chapter 9

**Note:** I don't own _The Middle._ No copyright infringement intended.

 **Note:** This series is going on hiatus for now. I've gotten ideas for additional stories, which will be posted separately. Thank you to everyone who's been reading! Please let me know if you have any feedback or ideas.

Sean spent Tuesday afternoon, two days after his first date with Sue, watching one of _The Hobbit_ movies with Brick. It had taken them a long time to finish, since Brick kept pausing the movie to compare it to Tolkien's writings. Since the only input required from Sean was the occasional nod, his thoughts kept wandering to the past few days.

He hadn't been able to decide if his first date with Sue should be fun or traditional; with the trip to the zoo and dinner at the inn, it had been both. They'd ended up spending hours dancing, talking, and enjoying being together. Even though the date had had its issues - the rain, the frequent texts (although he now knew those had been about him), and their interrupted moment at Sue's apartment – all in all, it had been magical. Then they'd gone back to Sue's apartment, where their bad timing had struck again.

They'd stumbled through the door, too focused on kissing and touching to pay attention to where they were going. Consequently, they'd plowed into Lexie, who'd spilled the cup of tea she'd just fixed. "Oh, hi Sean! Welcome back! And I am so, so sorry!" Lexie had grabbed some napkins to clean up the tea.

"Hi, Lexie! It's, um, good to see you again. I'll take care of that. Why don't you make another cup?" Sean had taken the napkins and mopped up the mess.

"That's okay. I'm going to sleep. Sean, we'll have to catch up later!" She'd put the mug in the sink, waved to Sean, then mouthed "Sorry!" to Sue before fleeing the room.

Sue and Sean had looked at each other and laughed. "Timing!" He'd groaned.

Sue had stepped close and wrapped her arms around him. "Do you still want to…stay…for a while?"

Sean had stroked her back. "I really want to, but I probably shouldn't. I have a feeling my parents are going to forget I'm an adult and wait up for me."

Sue had smiled. "Yeah, and my parents will probably be watching for you, too!"

They'd cemented their plans for the next few days, then after one last lingering kiss, Sean had gone home. There, he'd found his mom working on a scrapbook in the dining room.

"No, no, no!" she'd shooed him away. "This is a surprise for tomorrow night!" They went into the living room and sat on the sofa. "Well?" she'd asked expectantly.

"It was…amazing!" He'd smiled. "I really appreciate your help tonight."

"We were all thrilled to do it! We're so happy that you're happy!" She'd paused. "Sean, your dad told me he had a talk with you about Sue."

"Yeah," Sean had shrugged. "He's concerned…"

"About both of you," Nancy had interrupted. She'd looked at her son for a long moment. "Do you remember when you were little, whenever Axl was with us, Sue usually was too?"

"Of course! Axl used to say she invited herself along to torment us," Sean had shaken his head then continued, "but I **liked** having her around!"

"Your father and I liked having her around, too." Nancy had paused. "Before your sisters were born, your dad and I talked a lot about having another child. We both wanted a daughter." She'd smiled. "We used to joke that Sue was our 'practice daughter.' And after a while…it didn't seem like 'practice.'" Nancy had cleared her throat. "As you all got older, Sue didn't come over here as much. We still saw her a lot, of course, but…it wasn't the same. So, having her around this summer has been great. It's been right. And if you had been here, too…it would have been perfect." She'd stood, then placed a hand on his shoulder. "We're all very invested in the two of you, as individuals and as a couple. But don't let our concerns or expectations worry you. You just need to focus on being there for each other."

Sean hadn't known what to say. And even if he had, in that moment he'd been so moved, he wouldn't have been able to say it. He and Nancy had told each other good night, then she'd gone to bed. It had taken him longer to wind down.

The next day, he and Nancy had gone to visit Sue at work. He'd gotten a full tour before they had lunch in the restaurant. Because Sue was working and his mom was there, this visit hadn't been at all romantic. Still, as he'd watched the easy rapport between Nancy and Sue, he'd thought of his late-night chat with his mom and he'd felt an overall sense of contentment.

Before they'd left, he'd loaded Nancy's car with the Donahue Christmas decorations that had been used the night before. Sue had kept some of the snowflake chains his sisters had made. Once back at the Donahue house, Nancy and his sisters had divvied up the rest. Sean had snagged a single snowflake, which he'd tucked in his wallet, alongside the note Sue had attached to the snow globe months earlier.

While Brick finished his last lecture about the movie, Sean waited for Sue's arrival. Since she'd be working that weekend, she was taking Wednesday off to spend the day with Sean in Orson. He was supposed to be meeting his family at his grandmother's house, but he'd texted his mom that he'd be late. He hadn't seen Sue since the previous afternoon, and he hated to miss this opportunity to see her – even if it would only be for a few minutes.

Frankie and Mike arrived home first. "Sean, do you want to stay for supper?" Frankie asked.

"Oh, no thank you! My grandmother said she's cooking all my favorites." He joked, "I think she's trying to spoil me so I won't leave the country for three months again!"

"Hmmm," Frankie responded. "Home-cooked favorites from your grandmother, or frozen mystery meat. Are you sure you don't want to stay here?"

"I have a better question," Mike interjected. "Can I go with you to your grandmother's house?"

They heard a car door slam. Sean rushed outside to help Sue with her bag.

"Sean! What are you doing here? I thought you'd be at your grandmother's house by now!" She gave him a quick kiss.

"I'm headed over there next. I wanted to see you to say 'Hi!'" He gave her a longer kiss. Then, "Hi!"

"Hi, back!" she smiled at him.

Carrying her bag, he followed her into the house and to her room. "You know you can come with me tonight, right?" he asked.

"I know," Sue shrugged, "but your family deserves some quality time with you, too." She smiled mischievously. "After all, once you move back to Gumford, I plan on monopolizing all of your free time!"

He grinned. "I'm okay with that!" He wrapped his arms around her. "I have to run some errands in the morning, so I'll pick you up around 11. Supper's not until 6:00, so…"

"We'll have the entire afternoon to ourselves!"

He groaned when his phone chimed. "It's probably my family, wanting to know when I'll get there."

Sue sighed. "Let's get you there, then." They headed back to the living room, where Sean told Sue's family goodbye. Once outside, their goodbye was so long and affectionate that when Frankie and Mike checked on them, Mike again threatened to get the water hose. When Sue finally came inside, she collapsed against the door and sighed dreamily. "Will it always feel as amazingly perfect as this?"

Frankie smiled and said "Yes!" at the same time that Mike responded "Nope." When Frankie glared at him, he quickly amended, "Yes! Definitely!"

The next morning, Sean sped through his errands so he could meet Sue early for lunch and a movie. While they had been to that restaurant and that theater together before, they had always been with family or friends. For Sue, revisiting those sites with Sean as her boyfriend was a dream come true.

After the movie ended, they walked out to Sean's car. "We've still got a couple hours before supper. What do you want to do? Get coffee and talk? Or…" Sean was interrupted by Sue's phone chiming.

"Sorry!"

"It's okay; go ahead and check your messages. But I'm warning you," he smiled, "every time I see you sending texts I'm going to assume you're planning another surprise for me!"

She checked her phone. "Actually, this could be a surprise for us both. That was Brick. You know he's working at Spudsy's again?" Sean nodded. "He got called in to work."

"Oh, that's too bad. I'll tell my mom he won't be coming to supper." He reached for his phone, but Sue stopped him.

"He's about to leave. And my parents won't be home until supper. You asked what I wanted to do for the rest of the afternoon." She said meaningfully, "How about we go back to my house?"

"Oh!" He asked carefully, "Is that what **you** want?"

"Yes! That is, if that's what you want."

"Yes," he said, stroking her cheek, "that's what I want."

They shared a soft kiss. With her eyes still closed, she said, "Take me home, Sean."

When they arrived at the Heck house, they were surprised Brick's car was still there. They found him sitting on the couch, reading a book.

"Uh, Brick? I thought you were working tonight!" Sue exclaimed.

"Oh, it turns out they need me to work tomorrow night, not tonight." Brick didn't notice the disappointed looks Sue and Sean exchanged. "Sean, do you want to watch another movie?"

"I…don't think we have enough time."

"Maybe not, but we can start one!" Brick got up to put a DVD in. "Make yourself comfortable!"

Sean gave Sue an apologetic look. She shrugged and sat on the sofa. He sat beside her and put his arm around her shoulders. Brick sat on Sean's other side and began yet another lecture. And that's where they were when Frankie and Mike got home.

Before 6:00, Sean and the Hecks arrived for supper with his family. The meal was a boisterous event. Afterwards, Shelly presented a scrapbook she, Nancy, and Dotty had been working on all summer. Neither Sue nor Sean had seen it previously, so they were both thrilled as they looked through it. One of the first photos was of Sue as a toddler, seated between Axl and Sean.

Sean was particularly taken with one photo of him holding Sue's hand. "When was this?" he asked.

"Oh, that was Sue's first day riding the bus to kindergarten. You were worried she'd be scared, so you held her hand the whole time," Nancy responded.

Frankie added, "Her teacher told me that you walked her to class, too." Sue kissed Sean on the cheek.

Sue was surprised at the number of pictures of her with the Donahues when she was little. "Wow! I think there are more pictures from my childhood here than we have at home!"

"Taking family photos has always been very important to me!" Nancy said. Sean smiled, realizing exactly who his mom meant by "family."

As they flipped through, Sue turned to Sean, "There are a **lot** of pictures of us hugging or holding hands!"

"What can I say?" Sean shrugged. "I was always a smart kid!"

There were more pictures of them and their families through the years, including from Sean's and Axl's high school graduation as well as Sue's. She and Sean were both surprised that the last photo was from the Christmas Eve party.

"Mom, this is wonderful, really, but where…"

"Are the rest?" Nancy asked, as she presented them with a second scrapbook. This one started with pictures of them from the roadside in May and ended with photos of them from their first date. Most of the pages in the album were blank.

"The blank pages are so that you can continue to document your story. And," she said pointedly, "there are plenty more empty scrapbooks where this came from!"

Sue clutched the album to her chest. "Thank you all, so much! We will cherish these! And I promise, we'll keep updating them."

"Absolutely!" Sean agreed, standing to hug his mom and sisters. Nancy pulled Sue and then Ron into the group hug. Frankie smiled tearfully and joined in. Mike and Brick helped themselves to more pie.


	16. Chapter 10

**Note:** I do not own _The Middle_. No copyright infringement intended.

 **Note:** This was originally intended as part of the "Holidays, Happy Days, and Other Big Events" story, but since it's so closely connected to the events of "Sue's Story Continues" chapters 7-9, I posted it here. Thanks again to everyone who reads these stories, and please let me know if you have any feedback.

"That's like the tenth time you've checked your phone in the last hour!" Jack said, as he joined Sue in the lobby of St. George's Inn.

Startled, she almost dropped her phone before finally managing to slip it into her pocket. She looked around guiltily. "Do you think any of the guests have noticed?"

"Who, them?" Jack asked, as he nodded to a family who were bickering as they headed for the front door. "They're too busy arguing over who forgot to pack what. They're not paying you any attention."

As another family walked past, he and Sue called out greetings. It was move-in weekend for East Indiana upper classmen and for St. Matthew's, so the inn was at full occupancy. While it had been a hectic day, the staff were all grateful there hadn't been any major catastrophes, like the broken air conditioner the previous weekend.

Once the lobby had cleared of guests, Jack asked, "So, what's the latest from Sean?"

"They finally finished moving in everything he brought from Orson. He and his dad are out running errands. Sean says they're taking their time, because they left his mom at the apartment, cleaning and organizing the kitchen to meet her standards. And she has **very** exacting standards!"

"Oh, I know!" Jack nodded. "I've met her!"

Sue giggled, then clarified, "Not that that's a bad thing! She really is the best!"

"She certainly seems to adore you!" Jack said. "I don't think I've ever seen anyone get along as well with their boyfriend's family as you do!" Sue smiled and shrugged. "But c'mon. Doesn't it ever get…I dunno…stifling…having your families constantly around and in your business?"

"It can be…" Sue made a face, "difficult, I guess. I mean, he's only been home for a week, and we've barely gotten to spend any time alone. It seems like every time we've tried, there's been someone from my family or his, or a friend, who just pops up!" She sighed dreamily. "I'm really looking forward to tonight! I'm having supper with him and his family, and after they leave…"

"Alone at last!" Jack grinned at her.

When Sue finished work, she went to Sean's apartment. She was impressed by how much progress had been made: the apartment had been thoroughly cleaned, most of Sean's belongings had been unpacked and put away, and Nancy had cooked supper. After they ate, Nancy wanted to stay and help finish the unpacking. Sean, however, tactfully refused. And he continued to refuse, as Nancy continued to ask.

Sean and Sue escorted his family out to their car. Nancy asked once more, "Are you sure you don't want us to stay? There's not much left to do, and it won't take long with all of us helping!"

Sean hugged his mom and kissed her on the cheek. "I really appreciate the offer, Mom, but I think we've all done enough for today. Go home and relax! I've got a few more days before classes start; it won't be a problem for me to finish the rest."

"Well, if you're sure…" she conceded. With one arm around Sean's waist, she reached for Sue and pulled her into the hug. "Be good to each other," Nancy quietly commanded. They both smiled and nodded.

As the Donahues departed, Sean and Sue waved until they couldn't see them anymore. Then they returned to his apartment.

After closing and locking the front door, Sean turned to Sue. "So…"

"So…" Sue responded. They stared at each other for several long seconds; then they were in each other's arms.

When the kiss finally ended, Sue snuggled into his chest. Sean stroked her back, then sighed and said, "Sue, I really hate to do this, but…"

Sue jerked back and looked at him anxiously. "What is it? What's wrong?"

Sean laughed softly. "Nothing's wrong! It's just…I've spent all day cleaning, and lugging boxes around, and re-arranging furniture. Would you mind terribly if I took a quick shower? Ten minutes, no more, I promise!"

Sue giggled. "No, I get it. It's fine." She tapped her finger against his chest. "But no more than 10 minutes!" She stood on tiptoes and pressed her lips to his.

After a few moments, Sean groaned. "Let's make that five minutes!"

Once Sean disappeared into his room, Sue rushed over to her purse. She pulled out a mirror and checked her hair, her make-up, even her teeth. As she was brushing her hair, she heard a knock on the front door. When she peered through the peephole, she recognized two of Sean's friends. "Please don't let them stay long!" she muttered, before pasting on a bright smile and opening the door.

By the time Sean re-entered the living room, several more of his friends had dropped by. Most of them hadn't seen him since his return from Ghana, so they had a lot of questions. Sean gave Sue an apologetic look, then tried to answer everyone's questions as succinctly as possible. After he promised to host a dinner party later in the week, their surprise guests finally left. His neighbor Charlie, though, insisted that he would return shortly with some souvenirs from his summer abroad that he wanted to show off.

When Sue and Sean were finally alone, he wrapped his arms around her. "So, where were we?"

Sue sighed. "Nowhere, I'm afraid." This time, Sean pulled back in confusion. Sue quickly explained, "It's getting late, and I have to be at work early in the morning. I should probably head home. Besides," she motioned towards the door, "I'm pretty sure he was serious about coming back here."

Sean shook his head, then kissed her temple. "I'll go with you." She started to protest, but they heard a knock on the door.

"Charlie!" they both groaned. As Sean went to answer the door, Sue checked her phone and saw a text from Brad asking if she was still with Sean. She had just messaged him back that they were headed for her apartment, when she saw Charlie leave again. She put her phone away and went to join Sean.

When Sue and Sean approached her apartment building, they saw a group of students gathered outside.

"Hey, isn't that Brad?" Sean asked.

"Yes!" Sue agreed. "And he's with our no-cut a cappella group!"

"Sue! Sean!" Brad greeted them, then gestured to the others. "They could not wait to meet Sean!" After Sue introduced Sean to everyone, they all made small talk for a few minutes. Then Brad said, "There's something we've been working on! This is just a teaser, but we have to share!" He and the others broke into a medley of love songs (mostly by Taylor Swift), complete with choreography. Sue was entranced, while Sean alternated between being amused and worrying that some of Sue's neighbors would come complain about the noise.

When the medley ended, Sue squealed and clapped before hugging her friends. Sean thanked them for the performance, then said, "As incredible as that was, I'm afraid we have to call it a night. Sue's got an early morning ahead of her." After saying goodbye, Sean placed a hand on Sue's lower back and gently propelled her toward the entrance.

"That was awesome!" Sue declared, as she opened her apartment door. Then she quickly amended, "But not as awesome as some alone time would have been!"

"I guess that's my cue to disappear!" Lexie smirked.

"Oh!" Sue exclaimed. "I didn't think you'd be home from work yet!"

"I just got in. Hi, Sean!" They waved at each other, then she motioned to the window. "I saw Brad and your no-cut a cappella group outside…"

"They serenaded us!" Sue beamed.

"Fun! I'm sorry I missed that!" Lexie glanced back and forth between Sue and Sean before continuing, "I'll just get something to drink, then I'll be in my room. But Sean, I really do want to hear about your trip some time…"

"Actually…" Sue draped her arms around Sean's waist. "Sean, do you mind sticking around for a while? You can tell Lexie a little bit about your trip while I go change. If you're not too tired, that is."

"I'm not too tired," he stated. While Lexie busied herself in the kitchen, Sean said quietly to Sue, "And I'm not ready for this night to be over."

Sue nodded and pressed a kiss to his jaw before hurrying off. She brushed her teeth quickly, then spent much longer deciding what to wear. Worrying that most of her pajamas would appear either too juvenile or too stodgy, she finally settled on a pair of shorts and a camisole. She knew she'd made the right choice when Sean stopped talking mid-sentence when he saw her re-enter the living room. Lexie made her excuses and went back to her room. Sue took Sean's hand and led him over to the sofa. Once they were seated, he put his arm around her shoulders and hugged her into his side. They sat in silence for a while, simply enjoying being together.

Finally, Sue spoke: "I'm really glad you stayed."

"Me, too. I'm just sorry there have been so many distractions. Tonight did not go the way I'd hoped it would!"

"Yeah, really!" Sue grimaced, then said more hopefully, "But we've got lots of tonights to look forward to! We are finally on the same continent – and in the same town – now!"

"Finally!" he agreed, then tipped her face up to his. They were interrupted by a noise behind them. They both whipped around and saw Lexie scrambling to pick up the contents of her purse.

"Sorry! I'd forgotten my phone!" She finished gathering her things, then stood and hurried back to her room. "Good night!" she called over her shoulder.

Sue and Sean both laughed, then Sean said, "Maybe I should go. I know you need your sleep."

"Are you kidding? After everything that's happened tonight, I am wide awake! Can you stay and talk to me for a while?"

"Of course!" He shifted and helped Sue settle more comfortably against his chest. "So, what do you want to talk about?

Sue was quiet for a moment. Then she replied, "While you were gone, I thought about you all the time. I would try to picture what you were doing at that very moment: were you eating breakfast, treating a patient, sight-seeing, having amazing experiences I can't even begin to imagine…" She looked up at him. "I want to know everything, every minute detail. What was the view outside your window? What were your bunkmates like? What was the coolest thing you saw? Anything you can tell me – that doesn't violate patient confidentiality, of course!"

"Okay, well, I'll start with the clinic where I worked." He'd talked for a while when he realized that Sue had fallen asleep. He shook his head. "So much for being wide awake!" He grabbed a blanket from the end of the sofa and draped it over them both. He kissed the top of Sue's forehead, then muttered, "We have got to make it past the couch one of these days!" A few minutes later, he was asleep too.


	17. Chapter 11

**Note:** I do not own _The Middle._ No copyright infringement intended.

 **Note:** I'd initially intended to include Sean's party in this chapter, but that will have to wait until next time. With the bad news that came out today about ABC passing on the spinoff, I wanted to add a little Sue sunshine to the world. Here's to hoping the show will be picked up by another outlet.

Sue had wanted to celebrate the last day of summer break before classes started – her last day of summer break ever. Unfortunately, Sean and her friends were all busy. But at lunchtime, as she surveyed the contents of her fridge, she made a decision. "You know what? No! It may just be me, but I can still celebrate!" She opened the freezer. "Aha!" She pulled out a pint of ice cream. "Now that's more like it!" After taking a scoop, she toasted herself: "Happy last day of summer to me! Tomorrow I'm a senior!" She'd just taken a bite when her phone chimed. She picked it up and saw a message from Sean.

 **Sean:** _Suzy Q! Where are you?_

 **Sue:** _At my place._

 **Sean:** _Awesome! So am I!_

She looked at the phone in confusion. "What?" Then she heard a knock on the door. She rushed over and yanked it open. Sean stood in the hallway, smiling brightly at her. Sue threw her arms around him.

"Sean! What are you doing here? I thought you had an all-day orientation session?"

While holding Sue, Sean managed to walk them both into her apartment and close the door behind them. "It turns out the afternoon sessions weren't required for returning students, so I decided to come see my special snowflake!" He cupped her cheeks in his hands. "It's your last day before you start your senior year. That's a big deal!"

"Yes! Yes, it is! And I am so glad you're here!" She gave him a quick kiss, then snuggled against his chest.

"So, what do you want to do?" After spotting the open container of ice cream on the island, he joked, "I'd ask if you want to have lunch, but I see you're already on dessert!"

Sue giggled. "I decided to have ice cream for lunch! But I do have real food here, if you're hungry." She pulled away from him and hurried over to the fridge. "And it's good! One of the benefits of working at the inn is that sometimes I get to bring home food from the restaurant; you know, the extras that they can't serve the next day." She rambled on about the restaurant and Marsha's cooking and then listed the leftovers currently in the fridge. By the time she finally paused for breath, Sean was grinning at her. "Oh! I guess I should have asked if you want to eat here, or if you'd rather go out."

"Hmm," he responded. "We could go wait in line to eat at a crowded restaurant, or we could stay here and have delicious food and privacy. That's a really tough choice!" he teased. Then he asked, "But should we wait on Lexie and see what she wants to do?"

"No, Lexie's gone all day. It's just you and me."

"In that case," Sean walked around the island to join Sue, "I'll take the chicken piccata. And this…" He pulled her close and gave her a lingering kiss that left them both dazed.

A blast of cold air finally got Sue's attention. "Lunch!" she cried. Still flustered, she turned to the open fridge and started yanking out random containers – too many for her to hold. Smiling, Sean quickly moved to help before she dropped something.

As they were finishing their meals, Sue asked about the party Sean would be hosting that Friday night. "Have you figured out the menu yet?"

"No," Sean sighed. "Since we'll be talking about my time in Ghana, I'd thought about serving some of my favorite foods from there. But when I started looking at some of the ingredient lists and recipes," he shook his head, "I realized that may be too ambitious for me to manage, with orientations and classes and everything else that's going on." He picked up their empty plates and put them in the sink. "Marsha's food really is delicious. Too bad she can't cater this party for me!"

Sue clapped her hands in excitement. "I just had an amazing idea!" Puzzled, Sean watched as Sue brought her laptop over to the island. While she opened a word processing program she explained, "We've started hosting outreach events at the inn. They're a great way to bring attention to charities and community groups, and raise funds for them. And they also bring more attention to us."

"That's great! But," he shrugged, "how does that help with my menu for Friday night?"

"Oh, it doesn't." Sue laughed at Sean's expression of fake outrage. "But I have an idea for our next outreach event." She pointed at him. "You!"

"Me?"

"You! And the other St. Matthew's students who've participated in fellowship programs. You can talk about your experiences. Marsha and her staff can prepare foods from the areas where all of you worked. And the proceeds can go to…"

"The grant program that helps provide medication and supplies to the clinics where we work. It also helps pay for our travel and living expenses."

"Yes! Perfect!" Sue exclaimed. As she typed up a rough draft of an event proposal, she and Sean swapped ideas. Eventually he fell silent, as she continued to type while brainstorming out loud. She glanced at him and saw an expression on his face that she couldn't quite read. "I'm sorry. I'm not being very good company. I just," she shrugged, "get so caught up in this!"

"Oh, no! Don't apologize! I really like seeing this side of you!" He continued, "I always love the joy and enthusiasm you bring to everything you do. But seeing you so self-assured and so clearly in your element, it's…" he took a deep breath, "very appealing."

Sue blushed and looked down at her screen, "Well, if you think ideas are appealing, just wait until I start reciting stats!" She expected him to laugh, but he didn't. She looked up at him, and this time she recognized what his expression meant. "Oh!" And when he reached for her, she repeated, "Oh…"

Much later, Sue stood in front of her bathroom mirror. Freshly showered and dressed in her work uniform, she finished blow drying her hair and putting on make-up. She paused and looked at her glowing reflection in the mirror. "I'm starting my senior year. I have a job I love, and it's going to help me with the career I want. And the man I love…he loves me too. Finally. Finally! **This** is the year of Sue!"

As she stepped into the hallway, she saw Sean sitting at the island and typing on her laptop. Sensing her presence, he looked over at her, then smiled warmly as he turned on the stool to face her. She walked over and stood between his knees. For several long minutes, they held each other close, savoring the moment and each other.

"Sean, I'm really glad you were here today."

"Me, too!"

Sue giggled. "What I mean is…today was important to me. And I love that you knew that, without me even telling you. And that you rearranged your schedule to be there for me. Again!"

Sean smiled and stroked her cheek. "I love you, Sue. What's important to you is important to me. And I'll always try to be there for you. We're going to need to take advantage of every opportunity to spend time together. Planning is good, but," he grinned, "I think we've learned by now that spontaneity sometimes works better for us."

Sue nodded. "That was certainly true today! What started off as important ended up being," she sighed, "perfect."

"Definitely perfect," he agreed, before tipping her face up to his.

Several moments later, Sue groaned in regret as Sean continued to nuzzle her throat. "I really wish I didn't have to go to work."

"But you do," Sean said, as he reluctantly released her. "So we should probably talk about something else."

"Yeah. Like…" she nodded at her open laptop, "what were you typing a few minutes ago?"

"I added some contact info to your proposal, for some other St. Matthew's students who did fellowship programs over the summer and a couple of my professors who can tell you more about the grant program."

"Thank you!" Sue exclaimed, as she pulled the laptop closer. She started to skim over the information Sean had added, but then noticed the time at the bottom of the screen. "Oh, no! I didn't realize how late it was! I guess we were…occupied…longer than I thought!"

Sean stifled a laugh, before replying, "I'll shut all this down, while you…finish getting ready."

"What? But I'm already…" Sue glanced down and realized her clothing was askew. She could only imagine what her hair and make-up looked like. "Right. But Sean," he raised an eyebrow, "you should probably look in the mirror before you leave, too." She laughed as he walked over to the mirror in the hallway, where he could see his mussed hair and the traces of lipstick on his lips, cheeks, and other interesting places. As she walked past him to the bathroom, he caught her hand.

"Sue?"

"Hmm?" she asked, as she smoothed his hair.

"Friday night, after the party. Would you like to…maybe…stay over? At my place?"

Sue's face lit up with joy. "Really? Spend the night with you? I'd love that! Oh, but wait," her face fell, "I have to be at work really early Saturday morning."

"I have an alarm clock. And," he said meaningfully, "I promise not to keep you up too late!" He ran his hand down her back, then lower, as he pulled her close.

"In that case, we have a date. Now stop trying to distract me!" She took one step away from him, before whirling back. With one hand threaded through his hair, she gave him one last, thorough kiss. After taking several deep breaths, she started to walk away. "Your hair is messed up again!" she called over her shoulder. His laughter followed her down the hallway.


End file.
